Forgotten Desires
by Eisac Namhort
Summary: A cross between Queen of the Damned and Twilight. A vampire story with love, action, drama and a twist that may result in the destruction of the southern human population.
1. Prologue

Prologue

_New York City, March, 1741_

Fear and suspicion bombarded the city, inside each home, on every street, even in the eyes of residents upon passing. It was everywhere like British soldiers to the French, waiting for a perfect moment to strike. The smell of oil and burning white oak lingered through the air and on the silk fabric of men's tailcoats, reassuring the threat that lurked. Gabrielle Alexander, a reputable shopkeeper, knew it would only be a matter of time before the slave rebellion escaladed out of control. As he sat sipping on a glass of bourbon in Hughson's Tavern, which he did every evening, he was aware of the whispering intentions to reprimand the city's restrictions for slaves and free blacks. But it was by law a capital crime to participate or even overhear such objectives and therefore, Gabrielle took care in containing his attention to his own tribulations.

Gabrielle was a young man of twenty-seven with waves of golden hair to his shoulders, caramel brown eyes, broad cheek bones and a slouch molding his spine from many sleepless nights of computing the poor profits of his shop, Alexander's Woodwork. His craft of furniture making, passed down from his father and his father's father, was in itself exquisite, but the faltering economy made almost every business in the core of New York City plummet; excluding taverns like Hughson's. Alcohol seemed to be the only means of escaping the pressures of economy and threats of slave conspiracies.

He rolled the glass of bourbon back and forth against his dry skin that was cracked and pealing around the edges. He could feel a few tiny splinters from today's work festering beneath the skin, but it didn't bother him. The only thing that crossed his thoughts was the burning of his throat as the alcohol slid down, which he welcomed. It tasted wonderful and strong as it did every night he came here. The floor behind his seat at the bar top was trembling from the dancers of both ethnicities enjoying the evening. Gabrielle didn't care to turn to look their direction.

At the other end of the bar sat a young man of similar age, clasping a glass of clear liquid, staring at Gabrielle. He decided he had no knowledge of who this man was and could not understand the animosity and pain brewing in his deep black eyes. He noticed the young man had hair even darker than his eyes and skin a chalky pale; paler than any other person in the tavern. It was bewildering; it seemed no others noticed this man except Gabrielle and John Hughson, the owner.

Swigging down the last gulp of bourbon, Gabrielle beckoned Hughson over while keeping his vision on the mysterious pale man.

"Mr. Alexander, how are we this evening?" Hughson asked as he poured another glass of bourbon for Gabrielle.

"As well as can be expected. Listen; do you know who that man is at the end of the bar?"

"Oh, that is Anthony Baluster; a strange man. He didn't say much about himself, only he had just arrived from England and was looking for a suitable place to rest for the evening. He seemed a little on edge for some reason, like he was anxious about something. I offered him a drink and gave him directions to Winchester's accommodations two blocks from here. He never said anything more."

"Yes, thank you" Gabrielle took another sip of his bourbon and glanced once more at the man. He was not surprised to see Baluster's piercing eyes on the two of them like he understood every word that was spoken.

"What's this information to you?" Hughson asked wiping the wooden bar with a wet rag.

"Curious…he seemed out of place."

"Ah yes. Well, tell me dear sir. Have you found a suitable wife yet?"

Gabrielle grimaced at the question. His romantic life always seemed to come about in conversations which he despised; not that finding a beautiful, young girl wouldn't be a blessing, but after the death of his parents eight years ago it has not been an outstanding priority such as keeping his father's business from diminishing.

"If it is any business of yours, no I have not."

"My apologies, I meant no offense. It's a shame though. A man needs a good wife to mind the home and children while he is working. And not to mention, the benefits in the bedroom…" Hughson trailed off winking at Gabrielle.

"Please sir, if you don't mind I would like to finish my drink and then be on my way."

"Yes, yes of course. Good evening, Mr. Alexander."

"Good evening." He nodded to Hughson and returned his attention to Baluster, who appeared to be intrigued and eager now. Gabrielle dismissed the strange man's mood seeing how he was tired and wished to return home. He swallowed the last three sips of his bourbon in one and tossed his green waistcoat over his shoulders. The thick air outside still had the remains of winter's chill and would nip at his insides without it.

When the crisp wind caressed his exposed skin, chill bumps arose and silence began to overtake the further he walked from the tavern. He could barely hear the music now over the whipping of flags and undergarments drying on lines outside window seals in alleyways. Gabrielle held his arms tight across his chest keeping as much warmth to him as possible. Even with the inconvenience of alcohol, it was impossible for him to lose his way. Two blocks down Broadway and one street over was where Alexander's Woodwork was located and the upstairs room with a cot, small dresser Gabrielle had made him self, and a desk was what he called home. It had been years since he visited his father's house, which was now his own, and could not bear to have the memories return.

Almost a decade ago, three constables had barged into Thomas Alexander's home in the middle of night, accusing him and his wife of fencing stolen goods for a gang called the Geneva Club. Of course, this was a false accusation and when Thomas, Gabrielle's father, disputed, the colonial authorities sentenced him and his wife to be hanged for their crimes. Since Gabrielle was still very young, they saw fit to revoke the idea of any involvement he might have had as long as he assured to refrain as a nuisance. Gabrielle had kept his word. He has done nothing, but continue the work of furniture making just as his bloodline of noble men before him, hoping the authorities would leave him at peace.

Gabrielle turned the corner of an alley leading to his street. The lights of burning lanterns were dim and a tall black figure had his back pressed to the red bricks in the center. He could not make out who the man was, but he kept his chin to the base of his neck and arms down by his sides.

"Excuse me, who's there" Gabrielle bellowed. He could hear voices coming from another street over growing, but they were too far away to assist him if need be. The figure radiated danger to Gabrielle and he paused wondering if he should go a different way, towards the voices preferably.

The figure turned his direction, but kept his head down. "It is Anthony Baluster, from Hughson's Tavern." His voice was deep and soft.

Gabrielle took a breath and relaxed. As he approached the figure closer, he could see once again the chalky pale skin in the weak light. "Ah, Mr. Baluster. You gave me a fright."

The man chuckled behind his pale closed lips. "Did I now? I apologize for that. It seems you know my name, but I have not yet learned yours."

"Oh yes, how rude of me. I am Gabrielle Alexander." He stopped in front of Baluster and held out his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Baluster kept both his hands in place and nodded his head. The voices seemed to be louder than before, echoing down the street. There were too many to make out what they were saying. "I wonder what is going on?" Gabrielle said looking back down the alley path he had come from. He returned his gaze around and saw Baluster's face in its entirety. His eyes flashed bright like a cat's when Baluster moved his head slightly to the left and he smiled uncovering the whitest teeth Gabrielle had ever seen before. They were more like porcelain, but not fragile looking.

A growing unease pressed in the pit of Gabrielle's stomach and he realized there had been a reason Baluster seemed dangerous, because he was. "What is wrong with your eyes?"

Baluster remained silent as he began to stalk forward towards Gabrielle. "Why…why are you doing this? I have done nothing to you."

"I do this because I have to."

Gabrielle trampled backwards with his hands raised in front of him, "Wait! Why do you have to kill me? I am nobody."

"Exactly" Baluster said continuing closer. He widened his grin, but it wasn't to show excitement; it was to allow a change. Gabrielle watched, mesmerized as Baluster's two canine teeth grew in length and sharpened to a point. He could not make himself think of what this meant. All the horror stories of monsters and creatures of the night were in fact true. Gabrielle had never cared for nonsense such as those created to scare children before bed, but here stood one of the creatures, right in front of him and he could not make himself believe it. He sucked in a gulp of air and turned to run. His feet were heavy, like bags of sand were strapped to his ankles and the alley was long keeping him from the freedom he craved. He realized there was no way he would be able to escape, not according to the tales he remembered of these creatures, having the strength of a hundred men and speed like a panther. Gabrielle kept running anyways, rubbing his breeches raw between his knees, but he felt slow and foolish for trusting someone he had only known a short while.

Just as Gabrielle had feared, Baluster leapt over with ease and planted himself, crouching before him. As he made a small hiss, Gabrielle froze his heart pounding and hands trembling. He knew this was the end of his short twenty-seven years. It would not be the authority of the colonies to murder him as they did his parents, it would be this creature, this monster, this…vampire.

Baluster hurdled forward and squeezed Gabrielle tight towards him with crushing arms. Gabrielle shoved as hard as he could into his chest, but it did nothing. He was weak like a child or worse a helpless animal compared to Baluster. His struggles were meaningless. Gabrielle could feel the cold of his flesh, much colder than the winter air, as Baluster wrapped his hand around the back of his head leaning it to the side. Gabrielle tried not to think about what was coming next, but the piercing of his teeth and cold lips that pressed to his throat made it unfeasible. The searing pain from his neck pulsed through Gabrielle's body and he began to weaken with every twitch from his attacker. He could hear the soft moaning of satisfaction from Baluster as a burning, tingling sensation coursed through his veins. The alley became darker as he sensed a numbness spreading over him in a matter of seconds. Baluster held up his limp body with no difficulty, while Gabrielle could no longer move any part. His head swam with a sensitivity of having weight over him, but it was not from Baluster. Gabrielle was aware, only motionless. He inclined his right arm to move, but it refused. Not even his voice would agree to sound.

Gabrielle felt the hard ground as Baluster lowered him still satisfying his thirst. Gabrielle feared he would be nothing, but a dried out corpse in a few minutes. There was only so much blood within a human body. The alley was now pitch black, for Gabrielle had lost his sight entirely. Although, he could still hear the voices of men over Baluster's sucking noises and smell the burning of oak. It was powerful and thick. To his surprise, Baluster released him to his sanctuary of the ground and stood a moment with his back to Gabrielle's immobile body. He was aware of the flashes of heat coming in waves on his skin and could hear the roaring of a fire destroying a building only a measure away and women screaming. Something Gabrielle wished he was capable of.

He did not see Baluster leave, but he knew he was no longer in the presence of a vampire; he was alone. Gabrielle assumed it was the fire that distracted Baluster, leaving him to this paralyzed state. The numbness overtook him even further, the sounds around him ceased, his sense of touch vanished; he could no longer feel the wind brushing through the hairs on his head or hands. There was nothing, only darkness. And in the darkness, Gabrielle would welcome death.

Author's notes: Thank you for reading. Feel free to leave a review! My next chapters will be present day and set in the south. Hope you enjoy them.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

_Alabama, August, 2009_

It was larger than the average size mailbox, a rusted red with two sets of deer antlers dangling about the post and a tall magnolia tree with branches reaching out to the highway, perfect for climbing. Chloe could always find the turn off on the dirt driveway to her uncle's house, because of them. Her uncle, Nick Dunn, was Good Hope's finest hunter; he could hunt anything on four legs. It was very common for Chloe to come home to the garage freezer packed with bundles of rabbit, elk, deer and any other kinds of meat you can think of. She used to pitch a fit when there was no room for anything else, but now Chloe would smile seeing it full to the rim. She missed living with her uncle and was thrilled to be moving back home.

She turned her uncle's old blue mini-van, he had given her for college, down the driveway feeling the rocks and sticks crumple underneath the tires. The sun was bright and still burning hot as it had in June. In the south, it is normal for it to be hot more than eight months out of the year. Only a few trees lined the driveway giving Chloe little shade the rest of the mile drive. She rolled the windows down allowing the warm breeze that caressed the fields of corn and pastures nearby to refresh her memory. Her dark brown hair whirled over the head rest like a tornado and she squinted her blue eyes searching for that familiar mark of yellow.

With an abrupt curve to the right, she could see the front of the small garage off to the side and the buttercup yellow house she had lived in since she was seventeen, after her parents had died in a car accident. They were living in Wetumpka at the time and her parents, Joe and Lisa Reeves, left to get some chicken for dinner. Chloe had been doing her Chemistry homework in the kitchen, when a knock on the front door from the officer that had been at the scene came to give her the news. It was hard for Chloe to recall much else of that night or week for that matter. All she remembered was Nick cradling her in his arms as she sobbed into his jacket that smelt of pine and burnt umber; then driving her to his house.

An old red Chevy pick-up was parked to the right of the opened garage, where Nick was sawing through a two-by-eight plank of wood. Sawdust covered the tips of his worn, leather hunting boots and sweat glistened underneath his thinning, brunette hair on his forehead. Chloe pulled the van up next to the truck and jumped out, slamming the door hoping to get his attention.

"Uncle Nick!"

"Well, I'll be…if it isn't Chloe Reeves herself. How are ya, honey?" he smiled setting the saw down to wrap his arms around her. "You look like you've grown another foot."

"I was here for Christmas, it hasn't been that long."

"Sure feels like it!"

Chloe laughed pulling him to the van, "Come on and help me unload my stuff."

It only took a few hours before Chloe had all her belongings back in their proper place in her old room. The full size bed with a purple silk comforter and dresser covered in photos of her parents remained just as she had left them over the holidays. Her bedroom was down the hall from Nick's with one bathroom between the two. A small living room with a beige loveseat and blue recliner connected to an open kitchen was towards the front of the house, it was simple like them. The house had large windows on every side allowing as much southern light as possible to illuminate the rooms. At least that was Nick's justification for them; Chloe believed his reason was to have a sure way to escape if there ever was a fire, as it was a fire that had stolen his wife, Rebecca, and twelve year old son, Jason, from him six years ago. It had been just two years prior to the death of her parents and at the time, Chloe could only imagine what he was going through, but now it was too upsetting.

Ever since, Chloe rarely heard Nick mention them or her parents. It seemed to be a touchy subject for both of them and for quite some time they have done well to move on. As she finished putting her pajama shirts in the top drawer, Chloe could smell the spicy seasonings and sausage aroma drift into her room. She hadn't realized how hungry she was from the day's travel until her stomach growled loud enough to be heard over the radio by her bed. She switched it off and hurried to the kitchen where her uncle was cooking dinner.

"Oh, I didn't know you could cook Jambalaya" Chloe said jumping up to sit on the counter next to the stove. "Smells good, but don't you think it's a little hot to be cooking something spicy?"

"No. It's perfect for cooking something special for your homecoming dinner."

"Oh" she laughed leaning over to sniff the bubbling rice in the pot. "I guess your right; it isn't everyday you get to have New Orleans Jambalaya in central Alabama."

"Oh be quiet and get off my counter" he yelled with a smirk playing at his lips. One of Chloe's favorite things about being home was her uncle was an exquisite cook. He always made sure she was fed more than just cereal and frozen dinners whenever she visited. "So, how did graduation go at AUM? I'm sorry I couldn't be there; I had some dire business to take care of."

"Graduated with honors. I have some pictures in my room I'll show you later."

"That's my girl! Will you set the table?"

Chloe reached into the cherry cabinets for two plates. "Since when do we eat at the table?"

"Since now. Are you going to complain about everything or just be happy you're finally back with me?"

Chloe rolled her eyes to the ceiling and tapped her chin as if to think for a moment. "Um…be happy."

"Good, now git." Nick filled their plates while Chloe fixed some glasses of sweet tea. It didn't take but a minute for the food to disappear as they chatted about what Chloe had been doing at Auburn University at Montgomery. She told him of the friends she had made and the jobs they had gotten in other states. They discussed her major, which was Youth Psychology, and where would be a good place to find a job in town. "You can work at Good Hope Elementary or I'm sure there are some daycares around here who would love to have ya."

"Yea, I could probably look in Wetumpka too. They have more to offer than this little hick town."

"I would rather you find something in Good Hope. I don't think Wetumpka is a reliable place for jobs" Nick said, his face serious for the first time since Chloe's return.

"Okay, I'm sure I will find something around here. I can start looking tomorrow." Chloe wondered why it bothered him for her to be in Wetumpka, even after all those years she had lived there with her parents. It wasn't like she was a stranger to the town, but she had no desire to argue with him on her first night back.

Nick got up from the table and stacked the plates in his hand. "Oh let me do the dishes. The chef is not supposed to do them; you go watch some TV" Chloe said grabbing them from him.

"Have at em. I could get used to this."

Chloe smiled and ran some hot water with soap while Nick went to his blue recliner and turned on some hunting show. It only took a moment and then she went to relax on the love seat watching a man dressed in bright orange hide in a tree as a doe trotted underneath him on the television. Before Chloe realized she had dozed off, it was ten o'clock. The night sky was very dark with the exception of a few stars shining high above and it was quiet. She could only hear the loud rhythmic hum from the crickets and the rustle of leaves on the few trees around the house. Nick had the recliner laid back all the way and his mouth hung open while he continued to breathe through his nose with a faint snore.

"Uncle Nick…"

"Huh? What? What's wrong?" he flipped up in his chair startled, the back catching him.

"Nothing, calm down. I'm going to bed. You should too."

He rubbed his eyes and yawned as he spoke, "Oh, ooookay. I will in just a minute."

Chloe kissed his cheek and turned to the hallway. "Chloe?" Nick said.

"Yeah?"

"I'm really glad you came back to live with me. It has been so boring without you."

"I'm glad too. Night uncle."

"Night."

Chloe went to her room and shut the door behind her, not wanting to disturb her uncle. She knew after her nap in the living room it would take her a while to fall back asleep. So, she thought it would be a good time to search the internet for available positions for a job close by. She grabbed her laptop from her green book bag and sprawled across the bed to research. Even though her uncle didn't want her to work in Wetumpka, she searched for jobs there anyways. A few businesses were hiring that had to do with youth development and children with disabilities. Chloe jotted the addresses down, hoping one day when her uncle was out she could see if they were something she would be interested in.

The phone rang and to her surprise, Chloe's uncle answered it. She wondered who could be calling him at such a late hour. Nick's voice grew louder, but Chloe could not quite make out what he was saying. She became curious as to what had her uncle upset; so she turned out her light and cracked her door open an inch. Her uncle's voice was clear now.

"What do you mean they left again? That is the third time this week! I don't care if they… Look, my niece came home today and I can't just pick up and go now. They're in Wetumpka again? Fine, I will be over in five minutes. Be ready."

Nick slammed the phone down and stormed towards his room. Chloe closed her door quickly before he saw her and jumped under the covers. _What is going on?_ she thought. She listened as he stomped through his room and jingled his keys in his pants pocket. The footsteps now approached her door and stopped just outside. Nick tapped three soft taps and then creaked the door open. Chloe was limp under the covers with her eyes shut tight; she didn't breathe while she waited for him to leave. "Chloe?" he whispered. She didn't respond.

He closed her door back and walked out of the house. She could hear the roar of his truck as he backed it in a circle, turning around. She watched at her window as the engine whined from Nick gunning it down the dirt road, until he was out of sight. _Why did he have to leave?_ Chloe thought to herself. _And what is happening in Wetumpka? _She had to find out.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The warm, thick blood coated Gabrielle's stomach easing the burn that had consumed him like a bowl of hot soup to a scratchy throat. The searing of pain subsided as his venom coated fangs remained buried deep in the young girl's throat. Her long brown hair draped over Gabrielle's cold fingers that held her body close to his. Only a cotton white sundress separated Gabrielle from her hot fleshy skin. As he continued to drink, satisfying his own thirst, visions of the girl's past flashed through his mind. He knew everything about her with one drop of her blood, her name, her family, what elementary school she went to, her boyfriends, every time she had made love to them, her classes in college, even her favorite toy doll, Jessie, as a child. It had taken Gabrielle decades to become familiar with the transferring of knowledge of his victims. It was not something that one could get used to, it took him by surprise every time but after so long and so many kills it never got any easier. The knowledge from humans over the centuries was very similar, not much had changed. They still felt love, happiness, wars and death. Gabrielle had seen, heard and felt many changes over the years, through other people's experiences.

He felt the veins of the beautiful girl in his cold arms run dry; she was empty of life. A life that now filled Gabrielle's existence. He hated taken lives of the innocent, but unfortunately not only do vampires absorbed the knowledge of their victims, they also absorb their emotions and personalities for the length the blood dwells in a vampire's system. It was sickening for Gabrielle after feeding on murderers and rapist for so long. The horror of their pasts, and the emotions and human desires to strangle and rape young women was unbearable for Gabrielle. Every time an evil thought such as that came into his mind, he wanted nothing more than to kill himself. Yes, he himself was a murderer, but it was only survival for him. He had no choice and he tried his best to only feed on the wicked, but someone with a wonderful, loving life was extremely tempting for a vampire; to feel the peace and joy flow through their own immortal bodies. It was a joy they rarely were able to experience, to feel human for a short while. It was not just the blood they craved; it was the life vampires were never allowed to have again. At least that was Gabrielle's thoughts toward his two hundred and sixty eight years of an immortal existence.

Sebastian, a vampire almost as old as Gabrielle, who was with him feeding on another, however, felt somewhat different towards the immortal state. Sebastian was like a younger brother to Gabrielle, always getting into trouble, causing mayhem in the small towns they travel to and flouting some of the advantages vampires have, such as strength. It was common to find Sebastian challenging brawny humans to arm wrestling matches in bars, pretending to struggle a bit and then slamming "softly" their arm on to the table. Whenever the humans fashion changed, he changed with it. His brown hair spiked and gelled like theirs and stylish jeans with rips and tight fitting v-neck shirts showing off his muscles as arrogant humans did. He loved playing the part; he claimed it was easier to lure victims that way. Unlike Gabrielle, Sebastian did not care whether he killed an innocent girl or a serial killer. He welcomed every emotion no matter what.

It was only a few years after Gabrielle had awoken in the alleyway; he had been left to die in when he found Sebastian. Yellow fever had been spreading through New York like a web, killing mostly children and a few young adults, which made it less conspicuous for Gabrielle as he fed. He had no experience, no mentor and was unsure how to do it, but tried to remember back to his own attacker, mimicking how he fed in the dark shadows. There was no government during that time and the people he fed from were considered victims of the spreading yellow fever. It wasn't until ten years later he had escaped from the center of New York City, the busy streets growing with tension as the threat of his discovery was near, by the humans. Gabrielle was still a young vampire and had not always been as careful as he should have. In result, he fled to the outskirts of the city where no one knew him, where he found Sebastian dying of yellow fever as well. Gabrielle could sense he had only days before it would over take him, but couldn't bring himself to end his life just yet. Gabrielle had waited two days watching Sebastian, trying to figure out what was so special about this young man. Despite his fatal sickness, his energetic personality radiated onto others. Anyone who visited Sebastian did not leave without feeling the enthusiasm he had for people and for finding amusement in any situation, even his own demise which he knew would be soon. Gabrielle pitied him, but was attracted to his passion. Gabrielle thought about his transformation into this immortal life and decided to burden Sebastian with this curse as well. Only, Gabrielle hadn't expected him to be thrilled by the change. His enthusiasm in his human state was even stronger in his immortal one.

He stood next to Gabrielle, behind a metal warehouse to the right of Willy's Pub in east Wetumpka, feeding on a blonde girl in a tight red dress, her stiletto heels tapping the ground as she struggled against him. Sebastian had lured the drunken girls from the bar; it had been very easy for him, considering how attractive vampires were to the human race.

"Next time, will you please bring two criminals instead of innocent college students?" Gabrielle said laying the corpse of the brunette onto the ground gently.

"What was I supposed to do? They came over to me."

"Tell them you aren't interested and find others."

Sebastian licked the running blood from the corner of his mouth. "Now what kind of fun is that? Besides, if the girls had seen me leave with two guys, they would have thought I was gay."

"You know, you really don't act your age" Gabrielle said. "You almost act like a newborn vampire."

Sebastian rolled his eyes and laid the other girl next to her dead friend. Gabrielle peeked around the warehouse and glanced towards the bar. He could see the back door facing them with a brown dumpster, bud light beer bottles smashed around the base and a red neon light beaming out into the trees behind them like a search light. "Where's Preston and Jarred?"

"Jarred is showing him how to lure prey and the process of feeding…you know, the ropes."

Gabrielle nodded his head. Jarred had joined Gabrielle's coven only twenty years ago. They had met in Knoxville, Tennessee when Gabrielle and his three companions, Sebastian, Laman and Resacra were passing through, traveling south. They enjoyed the south much better as there were plenty of acres and forests distant from the human population, which made it easier to have privacy; no one for miles around in places such as Good Hope, where Laman and Resacra were keeping to the lair. They had recently come to Wetumpka to feed and now it was Gabrielle and the others' turn. Gabrielle continued to watch for Jarred and Preston. Preston was nothing like Sebastian had been as a newborn, he was calmer, but that did not keep Gabrielle from worrying he would do something to bring attention to their coven. They could stay in a certain place for awhile as long as they remained hidden and undiscovered by the humans. Which, to Gabrielle, it was dangerous for them to stay anywhere, but that need to belong somewhere, to a home, was strong and stronger after feeding.

"Here they come!" Sebastian pointed to the backdoor.

Preston walked towards them, his chin covered in blood and the front of his white t-shirt stained. Jarred had found Preston three years ago behind a dumpster, shot twice in the chest, barely alive. It only took Jarred five seconds to decide to change him and after that, their relationship was strong. Gabrielle assumed it was similar to that of his relationship with Sebastian. Jarred put his hand on Preston's shoulder, "Don't worry, that was good and it will become easier."

"What did you do with the human?" Gabrielle asked.

Jarred smiled "I made it look like a murder. The teeth punctures now resemble a stab wound."

"What are we going to do with them?" Sebastian nodded to the female corpses before their feet.

"There is a rock quarry two miles from here. Resacra said that's where they have been hiding their bodies" Sebastian suggested.

"Alright." Gabrielle bent down to gather the girl he had drained the life of when he smelt three humans approaching. He could hear with the others, three strong heartbeats pounding fast, excited. Sebastian glanced in his direction than back to the approaching humans. He and Preston grabbed the girls and took off towards the woods, after Gabrielle had motioned them away.

He and Jarred began backing towards the woods as well, when the three large men appeared from the side of the warehouse. One man with thin brunette hair led before two other men, one a dark shaggy gray and another blonde man with a scar starting from above his brow and down the face of his left cheek. It reminded Gabrielle of battle scars men returned home with from the different wars this country has faced.

"Stop! We know why you have come here and we know there are more of you" the leading man said.

"Who are you?" Jarred stated stepping forward, startling the men.

"I am Nick Dunn, this is Jake" he pointed to the man with the scar. "And Ethan" the gray haired man nodded clasping a wooden ax in his sweating hands. They were nervous, but determined. Gabrielle could tell they knew exactly what they were and what these men might be capable of.

The red light glistened, the sweat seeping from the men's pours as they stood waiting for something to happen.

"Look, we really must be heading off. It's getting late" Gabrielle said bowing his head to the men.

"As long as you kill innocent people, you aren't going anywhere" Nick bellowed stepping closer.

Gabrielle glanced towards Jarred. Both had seen kinds, such as this group before in their time, out for revenge for lost loved ones, victim to vampire ways. They call themselves vampire hunters. Gabrielle knew the only way to stop these men, were to kill them, but he hated to kill for other means than food. Only, he knew they would never stop if he didn't.

"If you value your lives, it would be wise to leave us be."

"I don't think so" Nick said pulling a machete out from behind his back. He raised it high over his head, all three men bracing themselves before protruding forward.

Gabrielle jumped to the right faster than a bullet, the men didn't even see him. He grabbed Jake's arm dragging him down to the ground away from the others. Ethan and Nick charged for Jarred, tossing their fists and sailing their weapons through the air towards him. Jarred held Nick's arms back before feeling a sharp pain of cold metal sink into the skin of his neck. Ethan swung his bloody ax another time hearing a crunch and crack of bones before Jarred dropped to his knees as his head rolled across the concrete towards Gabrielle. Seeing the head of his friend, Gabrielle glanced into the murder hungry eyes of the human men and darted for the woods faster than a mustang. All he saw was the green of trees whipping past him and the smell of moss. He hated running away from a fight especially one with humans, but these seemed to be experienced in dealing with vampires and it would be in his best interest to leave now and return later with more from his coven. He could sense the direction Sebastian and Preston had taken to dispose of the female bodies. He knew they would have made it back to the lair by now and he would quickly return also. Gabrielle pounced onto boulders and into the tall pine trees, jumping on limbs as fast as he could. He heard as the smaller animals scampered away, hiding underground and behind slight rocks. The men would never be able to catch him and therefore the location of their lair in Good Hope, Alabama would remain safe. As for Jarred, Gabrielle was stunned they had been able to kill him so quick. Gabrielle had heard that it only took decapitation for a vampire to die, but had never actually seen it. A vampire's brain was the only functioning organ completely transformed into the vampire state. Their hearts never beat and lungs never crave the relief air brings. If the brain was ever severed from the body, a vampire would not function anymore.

The warm wind beat against Gabrielle's cold skin and he could feel the moister saturating the air as he approached Good Hope. He hated bringing news such as this to the rest of his coven, but he was now aware of vampire hunter's in Wetumpka. They would be watching their every move and know every strike they made there. He had to worn the others and decide whether to deal with the hunter's or leave Alabama.

Gabrielle stormed through the front door of the Victorian white house, bursting with news. Sebastian, Preston, Laman, and Resacra, whom had been anxious for the others, raced towards him.

"We've got a problem" Gabrielle bellowed.

"Jarred?" Preston said a burning curiosity plastered on his face.

"I'm sorry young friend." Preston turned away from the others and stood in front of the fireplace.

"The men?" Sebastian questioned.

"They know what we are and they will come for us."


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Chloe held the long rectangle brochure for Trenton's Youth Development Facility glancing over all the activities and counseling programs they had there for children ages five to sixteen. There was basketball, volleyball, painting and group session for character building. It seemed liked a peaceful business dedicated to helping the young grow into confident and well mentally developed adults; perfect for Chloe. She felt her education and passion for children would suit this position perfectly. Only problem was it is located in Wetumpka where her uncle banned her from going; he did not even know she was there today searching for jobs. She always respected her uncle's wishes, but she needed to work and having grown up in Wetumpka, this place seemed to be ideal. Chloe would have to take care in convincing her uncle that she would be fine and this is a great opportunity for her.

"Miss Reeves, if you would just fill out these papers, we can have your information put in the system right away. I know you will fit in nicely here" the man said behind a large glass desk covered in a stack of papers. John Stanley was a director for Trenton and had been the past ten years. He was a middle aged man with a child like grin, balding head and cheery disposition. It was obvious to see his explanation for his career choice.

"Thank you very much. I know I will be very happy working here."

"Yes well, don't hesitate to call if you have any more questions and I will give you the rest of the week to settle in. You can start Monday; be here at 7:45am. We open at 8am."

"Thank you again" Chloe smiled standing in her navy blue dress that stopped at her knees, to shake his hand. She gathered the papers and walked to his office door.

"Oh and Chloe?"

"Yes sir?"

"There have been some recent disappearances nearby, mostly young women. So, do be careful."

"Oh, yes of course." As she walked out of the building to her van, Chloe thought about what he had said. It was beyond her to think of someone kidnapping another. She clutched the handle to the car door and stopped, thinking of her uncle leaving late last night to come here. She wondered if he could he have anything to do with this, but that was impossible. He was a loving man, who had lost family of his own; he wouldn't take the same away from others as well. Chloe dismissed the thought about her uncle and hopped in her van.

The sun was setting and a cool breeze began to blow through the dirty van windows, summer heat was losing its potency. Chloe liked the fall in the south, all the colors of orange, red and yellow on the leaves and cool restful air. After wandering from building to building searching for jobs, a comforting breeze was exactly what she needed. She leaned her head back against the gray seat a moment before starting the car. A swarm of different emotions plunged through her like a wave as she closed her eyes to think. Chloe was thrilled she had gotten the job at Trenton so easily; however, she was not looking forward to telling Nick where it was. If only her parents had not died, they would have seen her graduate and now celebrate with her over her first job out of college, but they had died. She was alone in her blue van rejoicing by herself while her uncle worked his shift in Good Hope's local hardware store. As her eyes became moist from all that had happened these past few years, good and bad, Chloe decided she needed a drink and she didn't care what her uncle thought about Wetumpka. She was going to celebrate anyways.

When she had lived here, she wasn't of age to drink or go to bars; so, she really had no idea where to go. It wouldn't be hard to find something in this town, considering that was all you had to do. There were no dance clubs or anything, just small town hick bars. Chloe pulled her van out of the parking lot at Trenton and decided to just drive until she found somewhere; maybe she would even run into some old friends from high school. Whatever happened she was determined to enjoy herself.

Large lit signs reached to the sky displaying different fast food businesses and nail salons. She drove about two miles until coming upon a red sign saying Willy's Pub. _Perfect_, she thought. There were several cars out front and there would be lots more as soon as the sun set. She pulled up next to a green suburban; across the lot was a red Chevy that resembled her uncle's. It even had the rusted tool box and old tattered rope in the truck bed. Chloe knew he was at work so it couldn't have been him, but he might have loaned it to one of his friends. She shrugged her shoulders and decided she didn't care.

The bar was noisy despite its lack of customers. The whole place had a cloud of cigarette smoke fogging the air and made it hard to see without Chloe's eyes burning. A loud, hard rock song was blaring from the speakers placed up in the corners of the rooms. A group of men that looked as though they just got off work from a construction site sat in a back corner table with two large pitchers of beer. They were loud; one man's laugh bellowed across the room. She walked up to the bar top and signaled the bartender who was fixing a rum and coke for another customer. He set it down in front of the woman in a green ruffled shirt and jeans, and then wandered over to her.

"What can I get ya, miss?" The bartender had short blonde hair and deep brown eyes, which he winked at her. His skin was warm and tanned. Chloe thought he was attractive and should play it up maybe getting a couple free drinks out of it.

"Um…how about you surprise me? I just got my first real job today and I'm celebrating."

"Oh really, well congratulations. And what would a beautiful young lady like yourself be celebrating alone for?"

"I'm not celebrating alone. I have you…" The bartender smiled, flushing by her flirtatious statement. It surprised her to see a shy bartender, but he didn't seem to be too forward or at least not like the guys she had met in college. They would stumble up to her draping their arm over her shoulders, whispering what they were going to do to her in their beds. Chloe hated men like that. The last thing she wanted was a man telling her "I'm going to strap you down and punish your hot ass."

The bartender returned with a fruity mixed drink Chloe had never had before, but it was good. It tasted like peaches and tang, but also the rum was very strong in it too, which was what she was hoping.

"Thank you, this is very good!"

"You're welcome. I thought you would like it. It's called Perfect Passion."

Chloe smirked while brushing her brunette hair behind her left ear. It was straight naturally and she had it cut in layers. "I like your earrings; the sapphires bring out your eyes" the bartender said.

"Oh thank you. They are new." Chloe was enjoying this. It had been awhile since she was able to flirt with anyone. "What is your name?"

"I'm Steve, it's nice to meet you."

"You too, I'm Chloe."

"That is a beautiful name, it suits you." Chloe blushed; he was cheesy, but good.

Chloe finished her drink and was already feeling a little buzzed. She never was a heavy drinker, but it tasted so good she wanted another. "Can I have one more of these, please?" she asked pushing her drink to Steve.

"Ha ha sure." Steve took her glass and started fixing her another with a sweet grin on his face.

"Well well well, who do we have here? I don't recall ever seeing you in this bar" a man walked up to Chloe, sitting beside her. She rolled her eyes expecting him to put the moves on her. She glanced at him and he seemed the muscular, over confident type, Chloe couldn't stand. His pale arms were large and contrasted with the black tight t-shirt he wore. His face was white and chalky too, except for the pale pink on his cheeks. It was unusual to find someone without at least somewhat of a tan in the south. The sun always made its presence known on your skin no matter how pale you are, Chloe thought. That was weird.

"Do you mind? I am trying to enjoy my drink" Chloe batted, staring into his strange, shiny eyes. She had never seen any that color before, they were mesmerizing; a dark black, but bright at the same time. Steve walked over with her fresh drink and sneered at the man.

"Oh come on, don't be like that." As the man's brow furrowed for a second, Chloe noticed him inhaling deep through his nose like he had smelt something unpleasant. He almost looked confused. "Have we met before?" he asked.

"You aren't very original, are you?"

"No, I'm being serious."

Steve was standing in front of the small sink under the bar in hearing distance, washing a few glasses. He appeared frustrated, banging them to the bottom of the dish water.

Chloe glanced at the man, then back to Steve. "I've never seen you before. I don't even know your name."

"It's Sebastian." He breathed deep once more and then smiled like he had discovered something. "I think I understand now. Are you related to Nick Dunn?"

Chloe was caught off guard. She had never imagined he would know her uncle, unless they met at the hardware store where he works, but that was in Good Hope and they were thirty minutes from there. "He's my uncle. How do you know him?"

"He was here last night with some of his…friends. You resemble him in ways."

"Oh." As she took another sip of her drink, Chloe felt baffled. The way her uncle stormed off last night, there was no way it was just to have a drink with some buddies. Chloe sensed that she was missing something vital that was right in front of her face, but the alcohol was getting to her and she wanted to go home. There was a stack of papers in the van she needed to fill out before Monday. "I think I am going to call it a night. Steve, thank you for the drinks and the chat…here" she said handing him a twenty.

"Come back anytime. I work mostly during the week" he smirked taking the money off the counter. He glanced at the man, Sebastian, and snuffed like a dog.

Chloe hopped off the chair and headed for the door. Her legs felt light as did her head. There must have been more alcohol in the drinks than she originally thought or maybe her tolerance for it was not very high. Either way, there was no way she would be able to drive herself home yet. Chloe decided she should just sit in her car for a little while until her head clears up before driving home. It was the safest option she had.

She pushed the glass door open and stepped out onto the wooded steps leading into the bar. When she took to the first step, the heel of her right shoe snapped in half causing her to stumble, grasping for the railing. It happened so fast; one minute she saw the ground coming closer to her face, then the next, two freezing hands wrapped around her waist holding her back up right at the bottom of the stairs. Spinning around out of his clasp, Chloe turned to face the person who helped her. It was Sebastian. "Um, thanks."

"I don't think you need to drive, if you can't even make it down the stairs." He laughed at her.

"I'll be fine." Chloe was mad now. Everything about him was annoying to her, like a pesky younger brother or something. She bent down and slipped out of her one good shoe and then the broken one. They had only been worn two times prior and now they were ruined. Holding them up to examine, Chloe rolled her eyes and figured she would have to go shopping for some more before next week.

She walked to her van feeling the small pebbles on the concrete digging into the bottoms of her feet; she unlocked the doors and tossed her shoes in the passenger side. Chloe realized Sebastian had followed her over. "Look, is there something else you need? Thank you for catching me, but I don't need help getting in my car." She tried to be stern. If he was hoping for something to happen between them, Chloe assumed he had to be nuts. Without her heels now, Sebastian seemed to tower over her or it could just be his built torso that seemed more overpowering in the dim light, standing up. Chloe didn't know, but she turned to look at him, really look at him since in the bar. His eyes seemed to glow in the moonlight, more so than in the regular lights of the building. He appeared dangerous, but also beautiful in the same instance. Chloe could not stop staring at him, until she heard a familiar voice. It was her uncle.

"Chloe! Get away from him!"

"What? Why?" She was perplexed to see her uncle rushing towards them as if running to pull a child out from in front of a bus. Chloe felt the cold arm of Sebastian once again wrap around her, but this time around her throat like criminals do in the movies, when the police have caught them with a hostage.

"Let her go!" Nick hollered, clasping his machete at his side.

"I don't think that's going to happen. You see, as long as I've got her, you won't try anything stupid."

"Uncle Nick…what is going on?" Chloe could feel the knot rising in her throat, but she swallowed it back down as best she could.

"Don't worry baby. Everything is going to be fine" Nick said without much confidence to his expression.

"You're right; it will be fine if you don't follow us." Sebastian began walking backwards to the side of the bar, the start of the trees a few yards away.

"Wait!" Nick shuffled with them, keeping his eyes on Chloe.

"We won't kill her, if you promise to hunt us no more."

He thought a moment, "I can't promise that."

"I see, well then, the value of your niece's life seems to be trivial to your need for vampire blood."

Chloe gasped in his arms. She did not think she had heard him right; Chloe didn't believe in things like that.

"No! It's just I can't rest until I find the vampire that murdered my family."

"What?" Chloe yelled. She couldn't believe what he was saying. "You said they died in a fire!"

"There bodies burned in the fire, yes, but it was a vampire that took their lives. And now I'm going to take yours" Nick growled starring at Sebastian.

"You attempt to kill me and she dies" Sebastian said holding Chloe closer as she stumbled with him back to the woods. "Don't follow us." He began to laugh. "As if you could…"

Chloe watched as her uncle, along with the bar parking lot, disappeared into a form of tree trunks whipping past them as if she were on a roller coaster. The wind blew her hair and dress and she realized she was being held in Sebastian's cold arms as he ran. Her heart was pounding beneath her chest. She had never been so scared in her life. Was he going to kill her anyways, or would he keep his word if her uncle stayed behind? She didn't know. All she knew was, she could no longer rely that monsters didn't exist because she was being held by one against her will flashing through the woods at an inhuman speed. She didn't even think Superman could out run him, if he existed. Chloe pondered, if vampires were real, there was no telling what else might be real in this world.

Chloe began to shiver being so close to his freezing body; if only she had a jacket or something thicker between them. There was a large house in the distance, she could see. Lights were casting out from every window. It only took a few seconds before the house was closer and huge with ionic like columns lining down the front porch. Sebastian stopped in front of the white double doors with stained glass windows of warm colors reflecting onto the wooded floor. He didn't put her down, but opened one and took her inside.

The knot formed again and her eyes grew heavy. She didn't know what to expect and she felt like passing out. Chloe would prefer not to be conscious if this was the end and she didn't even want to think about what vampires do to humans.

Sebastian never said anything to her nor did he look her way. He only led them down the white marble hallway to the living room where four other people stood or for all Chloe knew more vampires. There was a shorter man with dark circles under his eyes that looked depressed, another man with pitch black hair draping his arm over a beautiful woman wearing a long purple gown and chestnut hair and then there was a tall man with longer blond hair and a dark overcoat. He appeared to be the one in charge considering all the others turned to see his reaction.

Sebastian kept a grin on his face while he walked over to set Chloe down onto the brown sofa in front of the fireplace.

"What have you done now?" The blonde man grimaced. "You know we don't allow humans here, unless…"

"Yes, I know. But we can't kill her or at least not yet."

Chloe winced at the thought of how Sebastian intended on accomplishing this, but was somewhat relieved that it wouldn't be tonight.

"What do you mean?" the blond man asked.

"Smell her Gabrielle, and you will see why."

Everyone turned to Chloe, who balled up in the corner of the couch as Gabrielle slowly walked over to her. He leaned over and breathed in through his nose like sampling a bouquet of roses. "She smells just like…Dunn."

Sebastian grinned again. "Exactly. He came to the pub again, alone this time. The others must have thought we wouldn't go there again so soon, but Dunn was there. I had planned on feeding on this young woman, but then when I smelt of her, it came to me that we might be able to use her against the human hunters."

"I don't like this, Sebastian. We could have just left."

"Yes, but I like it here and I'm not afraid of three little humans."

The smaller vampire jumped over to Sebastian with rage plaguing him, "And what about Jarred? It was only two 'little humans' that killed him. They are stronger than you think!"

"Perhaps, Preston, but we are physically more powerful by nature. As a whole, they cannot defeat all of us at once; our coven is too strong. Gabrielle and Jarred were outnumbered at the time. It won't happen again."

Gabrielle stepped between Preston and Sebastian, "That's where you are right, because no one will return to the pub again. We will just have to find a new feeding place for the time being."

"And what about her?" Preston asked, hissing towards Sebastian.

Chloe cringed once more, having not moved an inch since she had been placed upon the couch. The brown leather was starting to stick to her skin from the sweat caused by stress.

Gabrielle pushed Preston back, hoping to calm him down. "I'm not sure. I will need to contemplate the situation you have brought upon us. I have no doubts that Dunn will search for her until we stop him ourselves and you all know my thoughts about feeding on the innocent. She is not to be harmed…is that clear?"

The others nodded, except for Preston, whom folded his arms across his chest like a stubborn kid. "Good" Gabrielle said walking back over to where Chloe sat shivering. He held his hand out, waiting for her to move off the couch. Chloe gulped, wondering if this was some sort of trick. "Come now, we won't hurt you. I am just going to take you to one of the bedrooms upstairs. You can sleep there for the night."

Chloe looked up at Gabrielle. She saw there was truth to his words and for some reason, even though he was a vampire, Chloe could not see him as dangerous. Mysterious yes, but he was almost comforting to her. She grabbed his cold hand and pulled herself off the couch. He led her up the grand staircase to the first door on the left, leaving the others in the living room. The bedroom was huge with tall blue silk curtains reaching the ceiling and a king size bed in the middle of the room. A blue silk comforter that matched the curtains was spread over it; the room was beautiful. An oak dresser with a large oval mirror on top of it lined the wall across from the foot of the bed. Chloe walked up to it and looked into the mirror back at Gabrielle. She was shocked he had a reflection. Some of the scary movies she had seen, vampires didn't have reflections, but he did.

"I hope you understand why we can't allow you to just leave. The bathroom is across the hall and there is another blanket in the bottom drawer of the dresser if you get cold." Gabrielle turned to close the door.

"Are you going to kill me?" Chloe managed to choke out. She knew the answer was yes, but there was a small hope boiling inside her that she might live to see her uncle at least one last time to tell him she was sorry for not listening to him.

"I have no desire to, but…no I don't think it will come to that. Sleep well."


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Chloe stared at the closed door, stunned and in dismay. Was this really happening? She wanted to believe it wasn't, but the expensive and chic fabrics used throughout the room and the beautifully crafted dresser were a constant reminder of her present location. A dream it seemed, but was in fact a striking reality. She was trapped inside a beautiful place with horrifying vampires. Well, except for Gabrielle, Chloe thought. She could not picture him hurting anyone, least of all her. There was certain gentility about him that made her comfortable. Only, what did she know about vampires? That could be one of their abilities to seduce young woman or men in this day in age, a way to calm their prey before attacking. It was something Chloe had no knowledge of, was vampires and she had no intentions of sticking around to find out.

There had been no possibility she could sleep there waiting for one of them to greet her in the middle of the night with cold, hungry fangs to her throat or Nick being out of control with worry. The last thing Chloe wanted was for her uncle to think he'd lost another family member to these creatures. He would most likely die of heart attack or stroke before they would let her go. If that was even going to happen and Chloe shuddered to think of the moment they would decide she was a nuisance and had seen too much. No, there had to be a way out of this place. Chloe glanced around the room searching her surroundings. _The windows_, she thought. She dashed towards them and threw back the curtains. The lock on the seal hadn't been used in years and was rusted to the window seal. She shoved her thumb to the brass lock as hard as she could until her skin was red and throbbing. Her arm muscles shook as it finally budged leaving a rust outline on the white paint below. Fearing if the lock had been such a pain to get, then the window might not even release. Chloe breathed in deep; she couldn't give up. She pulled upward hard and to her surprise it had been relatively easy to lift the window allowing the cool night air to rush in blowing her blue dress and curtains beside her. She peered out the edge and looked to the ground with tears glazing over her eyes. The ground was too far for her to jump down and there was no way she could make it onto the roof. There wasn't anything to stand on. It was more than a disappointment.

She stood there a moment and thought of her other options. Chloe could sneak out of her room and try to pass them downstairs without them noticing, but that was stupid. Weren't vampires supposed to have super hearing? And not to mention they would probably smell her before she even got close to the front door. That wouldn't work at all. She could wait here until morning, when vampires were supposed to be sleeping and make her escape. Chloe pondered where they kept their coffins; surely not upstairs, probably the basement where it is dark and cold, underground. That plan might work; however the flaw in it was she would have to wait for the sun to come up, which wasn't supposed to rise for another seven hours. She grimaced at the thought of waiting so long. That would have to be Plan B, but what about Plan A?

Chloe bowed her head, frustrated at the circumstances. She had to figure this out; she was a sensible enough woman. Okay, Gabrielle had told her that she was free to use the restroom across the hall; so, he wouldn't have locked her bedroom door. First thing was first, she would step out into the hall and see if there was a flaw in their hostage situation she may be able to slip through, then go from there.

Her heart was pounding and sweat moistened her forehead as she walked to the door. The metal knob was cold, but not near as cold as Sebastian had been when she was pressed against his chest, carried to this place. He had been like cuddling up to a glacier in Antarctica; however, she wouldn't exactly say she cuddled into him, but rather held on for dear life as he ran at an inhuman speed. She twisted the knob and squinted, breathing in like she had been cut, as it squeaked and scrapped against the wood. Chloe prayed they hadn't heard that. Peeking her head out of the cracked door, she glanced up and down the hall before throwing herself out in the open. There seemed to be no one around. _Thank God_, she thought. She slid out from the bedroom and pressed her back against the wall, like police men do on cop shows, constantly checking behind her. Her palms were sweating as they glided with her down the wall and to the top of the stairs she had walked up previously with Gabrielle. Pausing a second, she listened for movement or talking, but only heard a faint sound of music coming from what Chloe guessed was the kitchen. _What would vampires be doing in the kitchen? What was even the point of having one?_ _This house must have been built for living humans long ago before these vampires took over, using it as their hideout_ she thought.

Chloe took each step one at a time, testing it before placing her full body weight on them, hoping they wouldn't creak as the door knob had. After she made it halfway down, a male voice bellowed from the other room. _"What do you mean it doesn't matter?"_ Chloe's heart sank and silenced for a split second until she realized it had been Preston arguing again like he had in the living room earlier and not from catching her trying to escape. She exhaled in relief and then continued following the steps down while listening to the man's voice, making sure it stayed in the other room. When her bare feet touched the white marble floor, Chloe shivered from its iciness. Everything about these creatures and their place seemed to be freezing. Did they have air conditioners keeping things nice and chilly? It was Alabama for crying out loud, which meant even in fall and winter it was muggy and at least warm most the time.

She again heard the voices and the faint music in the background coming from the kitchen door with a light shinning out around the edges. Chloe kept her fearful eyes glued to it, her heart skipping a beat every time someone neared the door. She could see the shadows underneath. Her movement continued across the living room as she tip-toed towards the forayer and the stained glass front doors.

"Going somewhere?" a man's voice said in almost a whisper. It was Gabrielle. Chloe spun around to see him sitting in one of the arm chairs cornered in the living room, watching her attempt her escape which had been doomed from the beginning anyways.

"Um…I guess not" she said, feeling the hopelessness of her state.

"I would advise you to return to your room and get some rest, but as I can sense from the adrenaline coursing through you, that might not be possible at the moment."

Chloe kept her mouth closed, but nodded her head knowing he was right. Sleep was not possible for her and apparently neither was escaping.

"Why don't you join me and relax? I promise not to hurt you. You can sit on the other side of the room if it makes you more comfortable" Gabrielle smiled gesturing to the sofa on the other side of the fireplace. Chloe marched to the leather sofa that matched the couch in the middle of the room and plopped down. She was mentally exhausted, but would not let her guard down while being in the same room as a vampire.

"I hope you know my uncle is going to kill you for taking me" Chloe batted while Gabrielle sat still, gawking at her.

"Yes I know. I hate to say this, but he will not accomplish that task and only end up getting himself killed or worse, you."

She quivered at the thought of him killing her uncle. She couldn't let that happen, but why would it be worse to him if she died instead? "What do you care whether I live or die? Aren't I just food to you?"

"Yes and no."

Chloe waited for him to say more, but he only continued to watch her appearing amazed. "What is with you?" she barked. "Do I have something on my face?"

Gabrielle chuckled at her reasoning. "No, I am just stunned you stayed in the room with me. I assumed you would have run back to your room and locked the door."

"That's not a bad idea" she sneered. Chloe dropped her gaze to her lap and toyed with the folds in her dress. She could feel her stomach begin to rumble over and over. She remembered she hadn't eaten dinner before Sebastian took her from the bar and it had been hours since she gobbled down that small sandwich for lunch prior to her interview at Trenton's. _Huh, Trenton's, great._ With all the vampire stuff, Chloe had completely forgotten about her new job; a job that she would most likely never be able to experience. Her stomach growled again, loud enough for the other vampires in the house to hear.

"Do you want anything to eat? You must be famished" Gabrielle stated, threatening to stand.

"No, I'm fine."

"Hum, stubborn too."

"Stop assessing me! I am not stubborn, I'm pissed off" she barked again, fuming that he would have to nerve to sit there and judge her. She wished she could be pissed off at him, but her attraction to him was keeping her from accomplishing that. She hated he was like that for her. Out of all the men she had encountered in her life, why did he have to be the most stunning of them all? The way his blond hair waved unto his shoulders, the full, smooth lips that were constantly smiling at her and his dark clothing making him seem mysterious in a sexy way.

Gabrielle laughed. "Okay, I won't assess you aloud. Fair enough?"

Chloe said nothing to him, but mumbled unintelligent things under her breath that Gabrielle seemed to have caught. Keeping a grin to his face, he stood up and walked around the couch. Chloe froze stiff as her stomach growled once more.

"I'm going to get you something to eat. And don't try to leave, trust me, I'll know."

She relaxed a bit as he passed her and sunk in her seat. She could not figure him out. Was he planning on killing her or being a good host? She was frustrated and confused. Were there such things as considerate vampires? Chloe had a lot of questions about what exactly a vampire was and considering there was no way she could get away, she might as well attain a little information from him; information that might even help her uncle, if they ever let her leave.

oo

Gabrielle walked into the kitchen where Preston and Sebastian were still quarrelling. It was not like Preston to throw fits as this, but Gabrielle knew how he must be feeling without his mentor anymore. Jarred was a father figure to him. It was a great loss, even for the others.

"What are you doing?" Sebastian asked, interrupting Preston's scolding. "You're not preparing a meal for that human are you?"

"Yes, I am. I said she was not to be harmed and that includes not allowing her to starve to death."

"Oh, wow. I think our leader may have a thing for the human. I mean after all she does have a sexy figure. Wouldn't mind exploring what other hidden surprises may be lurking underneath that dress of hers" Sebastian smirked, licking his lips.

Gabrielle hissed snatching his collar and pulling his face up to his own. "You will do no such thing, understood? If I have to, I will forbid you blood for a month." He was very familiar with Sebastian's ways with human women that always ended with the female naked and lifeless. Sebastian could not resist the temptation of blood and the ecstasy from her pleasure that came with it as they had sex. Since vampires accumulate the emotions and knowledge of their victims by drinking their blood, they also however receive a momentary rush of what the victim's sensations are at that particular moment.

"A month?" Sebastian dropped his jaw. "Why don't you just cut my head off now and save time?"

"Just keep your distance from her" Gabrielle snapped, tossing some bread on a plate he'd found to go with the soup that was warming on the stove.

"Don't worry, she's not my blood type anyway" Sebastian joked leaving the room a little frustrated. Preston followed behind as well, ready to finish his previous conversation and Gabrielle heard him spat a comment at Sebastian as soon as they were out of sight. Gabrielle poured the soup in a bowl and set it onto the plate next to the bread. He snatched a spoon and glass of water, before taking it to the living room.

Chloe had not moved an inch, still playing with the end of her dress. Gabrielle wished he could see the fascination she had for the material or if it was just nerves. He set the food on the small coffee table in front of the couch where she wouldn't have to hold the hot bowl and beckoned her over. She didn't move, but glared at him as if he were insane. Gabrielle smirked unfamiliar with a human being so cautious around him and went back to his arm chair in the corner. It was normal for a vampire to have humans flock to them; it seemed to be an extra manner of seducing your prey that was built into a vampire's anatomy. Only, it appeared to be useless towards Chloe, Gabrielle thought. She seemed to be repulsed by him rather than intrigued, which was a good thing, safe, considering what he was. He preferred her to keep her distance and therefore, he wouldn't be tempted.

Gabrielle watched as Chloe walked over to the couch, a few feet closer to where he was sitting now, and sat down in front of her warm meal. She held the spoon up that was minutely shaking and scooped up some broth with a rotini noodle and a bit of carrot. Gabrielle gazed at the curve of her lips as she blew onto the spoon with fascination. Her layered brown hair fell around her oval face, covering that so tender of skin, the neck. Gabrielle never had paid much attention before to the details of a human and the beauty of their vulnerability, but he found everything about Chloe interesting; even when she thought he was starring at her, which he was, she would fidget nervous like.

"Will you tell me more about what's going on and what you are exactly?" Chloe asked slipping a spoonful into her mouth.

"I am a vampire."

"Yes, I know that, but is it similar to movies? Do you sleep in coffins?"

Gabrielle chuckled under his breath. "No we do not sleep in coffins; in fact we don't sleep at all considering our bodies have no need for rest."

"That's strange. What else?"

"Well, what else do you want to know?" Gabrielle was curious as to what kinds of questions she could come up with. He hadn't exactly ever shared such details of the vampire before with any human he had no intention to kill, in fact it was one of his rules not to expose the coven unless you planned on turning them or killing them; however, Chloe's uncle, Nick Dunn, would be sure to share these things with her anyways. Also, he wanted her to know everything about him, like there was some sort of connection between them that needed no barriers.

"Um…since you don't sleep during the day, can you come out in the sunlight?"

"Yes, vampires don't melt or burn to death when the sun hits them like in the movies. Only, we prefer to stay inside because of our eyes."

"Your eyes?" Chloe was beyond interested, lost in his words and without knowing scooting closer down the couch.

Gabrielle noticed as she leaned onto the armrest, only a short measure away. Her scent was much stronger now; it was sweet and clean smelling and he could hear her blood speeding up under the skin. "Our eyes are very sensitive to light, natural sunlight that is. Artificial light is harmless, but if we were ever to directly look into the sun they would change to a white milky color and we would be permanently blind. Even sunglasses don't help and the pain is unbelievable, like taking lit candles and shoving them into your sockets."

"Oh, gross" she whined, squinting her eyes tight as if she could feel what he was describing.

"Yeah, so we prefer to just not chance it and stay indoors during the day." He watched as her fascination on the subject continued to escalate and her eyes light up. He was also shocked she wasn't running for the hills from him.

"What about crosses and garlic?"

"Not a chance. Garlic's good on bread though or so I've heard."

"Ugh! Well…what about fangs? Do you have those?"

Gabrielle's smile faded. He didn't want to scare her. "I do, but…"

Chloe gathered his hesitation and acknowledged her own, "Um, Gabrielle?...What's it like to drink blood?"

He had hoped she wouldn't have asked that particular question, but it was to be expected. "No, I don't want to frighten you."

"I hate to burst your bubble, but I've been afraid since before I arrived here."

Gabrielle chuckled, "Could have fooled me. You haven't flinched at any of this new information."

"Please?" Chloe seemed to be not giving up on this question.

"Fine, it depends on who you bite. As in, everyone has their own flavor, but also it depends on what kind of a person you are as to how it affects a vampire."

"What do you mean by that?" Gabrielle watched as she leaned as close to him as the couch would allow, curiosity getting the best of her like a toddler exploring his surroundings on foot for the first time.

"For instance, if I were to drink a serial killers blood, I would also have the same emotions and drives to murder as well afterwards. Or for as long as that person's blood remains in my system. I would also gain their knowledge and history. It's kind of complicated."

"Uh huh. So, if I cut my finger and you were to suck the blood from it, you would know everything about me?"

"Precisely, but don't. You're tempting enough as it is." Before Gabrielle had even finished his sentence, he wished he hadn't. He could only imagine how that would sound to a human, knowing someone that sat almost inches now from them thirsted for their blood.

Chloe gulped her final bite of soup down and pushed her bowl away. "Should I go back to the bedroom?"

"No, no! I apologize for my rude comment; it's not hard to control myself. You see, blood for a vampire is no more tempting than food for a human. Only, the feeling of mortality and love of family is tempting. It's part of the cravings, but you have nothing to fear. I won't harm you." Gabrielle could see the trust plastered on Chloe's face. He hoped he had explained things well enough for her to get some sleep without fear of being bitten in the night. He watched her lay her head on the back of the couch, her hair falling behind her shoulders revealing the skin on her neck that Gabrielle had pictured earlier. It was even better, soft and creamy looking with an aroma of heaven, he imagined. His mouth watered, but not for the thirst of blood, it was a different craving. One Gabrielle hadn't felt before; he wanted her in his arms. Of course, he had been with women like that before, only it wasn't for love, but a means of feeding. This, however, felt unlike anything else.

Chloe's eyes had closed and in a matter of minutes, Gabrielle heard a delicate snore under a heavy deep breathing. She had fallen asleep. He only wished he could slip into her subconscious for a moment to experience what it was like to dream once more. That was one experience he missed from being a mortal, the ability to dream and escape the stresses of reality even for a few hours.

As Chloe's head slumped further down into the couch, Gabrielle knew that had to be uncomfortable and decided to carry her back to the bedroom. He lifted her with ease into his arms and as he felt her warmth, the craving to have her reappeared and a little stronger. As Chloe nestled her head into his chest, even his stomach was turning like it had butterflies in it. That was strange, he was immortal and did not need food; how could his stomach be awake doing back flips?

He reached her door and slid through stepping over to the bed. Holding her with one arm, he quickly tossed the covers back and placed her on the silk pillow, recovering her. Gabrielle watched as she shifted to her side and hummed an exhale; her voice light and peaceful. He realized right then, he was attached to this woman and it would be difficult for him to allow her to leave now. Gabrielle didn't think it was even possible.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

The light peeked through the curtains in such a way the royal blue from the material flooded the room as if it had been set under the ocean. A heaviness draped over Chloe making her wake in a pool of sweat; it was a thick cotton blanket upon the comforter and sheet. Since it was morning and the sun was glowing bright, so was the temperature high, probably in the upper 80s causing the blanket to drown her in heat. She kicked the covers off feeling the rush of cool relief to her lower body. Despite her night, she felt fully rested. Only, her brown hair was matted and stringy, her dress wrinkled where she twisted it and laid on it during the night, and she felt like it had been ten days since she had even seen a shower. She would die for just a bar of soap right now.

It took Chloe a moment to collect herself. How did she end up back in the bedroom? Struggling with what really happened the previous night, her mind was lost, consumed by her imagination or subconscious, one of the two. Somewhere along the lines, the conversation with Gabrielle transitioned into a dream. Chloe went from asking him questions about the anatomy of a vampire to nibbling on his bottom lip. She dreamt Gabrielle had carried her to this room where he placed her upon the bed enveloping her in his arms. His hungry kiss enraptured Chloe as her hands adhered to his broad shoulders. And he pressed her body dangerously close while the coldness of his left her arms and chest stunned. Her nails dug through the blond waves of his hair clinging tighter as his cold hands slip up her dress caressing the smooth skin that was her back. Chloe shivered as his fingers that felt like ice cubes traveled the length of her spine. She had wondered why he didn't bite her, but was thankful when he continued kissing her instead, keeping her heart pounding under her chest. The next thing she remembered was the iciness from Gabrielle's body vanishing, leaving her skin tingly and stinging from his absence and a small black bat twittered around the room then flew out the window. _Was that real? Surely not. _

She shook her head and rubbed the images from her eyes. Chloe would find out later if the whole "turning into a bat" was even possible. She almost laughed at the thought. Standing up from the bed, Chloe noticed a small metal cart sitting by the door with a silver tray full of different breakfast foods, eggs, toast, bacon and a large glass of orange juice to the side. _Wow, vampire room service_, she thought. Walking over and grabbing a slice of toast, Chloe crunched into it wondering where the vampires were right now and what exactly they did during the day. As she chewed, she realized that the toast was a little on the cold side. She picked up the orange juice and took a sip; it was warm. She must have slept a lot longer than she thought. What time was it?

A light knock on the door startled Chloe causing her to drop her toast onto the floor. She quickly scooped it up brushing the crumbs away like a child would, not wanting to be caught making a mess while the door cracked open. Gabrielle grinned stepping in, "I heard you were awake."

"Um…yeah. Thanks for the food" Chloe blushed embarrassed by her clumsiness. She laid the dirty piece of toast to the side on the cart.

"Your welcome. I had Laman run to the store for some more human food last night. It's almost lunchtime though. You slept a long time."

"Right. Can I ask you something?"

"Yes?"

Chloe saw his clothes were different today; he wore more casual jeans and a gray t-shirt under a dark green button down that was left open flowing by his sides. His wavy hair draped over the collar. Images from last night swarmed her thoughts again. She pictured herself wrapped in his arms, their faces almost touching and could imagine his cold breath beating against her lips. She realized she wanted him, but that was unthinkable. To want a vampire, it was dangerous and foolish. No, she shouldn't want him, but she had to find out if last night really happened. "What happened last night?"

Gabrielle smiled, "You fell asleep on the couch and I carried you to your room."

Chloe paused, waiting for him to say more. He didn't. "Is that all?"

"Yes, why?"

"No reason" she was embarrassed again. Perhaps her kissing him was just a dream like she thought. Thank goodness. "Can I ask you something else?"

"Of course" he seemed to be enjoying her uncomfortable disposition.

"Can you turn into a bat?"

"Ha, ha no I can't. Being a vampire isn't magic" Gabrielle threw his head back in laughter at that question. He walked over to the dresser and opened the top drawer, pulling out a small pile of women's clothing. "I asked Resacra if you could borrow some of her clothes. I think they should fit." He laid them onto the foot of the bed. "I apologize, most of them are a bit formal. She enjoys playing dress up."

"Oh, that's alright. Might I be able to take a shower before changing? I would feel less like a zombie."

"Yes of course. It's across the hall. Feel free to take as long as you want." Gabrielle nodded his head and receded back from the room, closing the door behind him. Chloe stood there a moment. She really wasn't that hungry anymore and a long hot shower, she thought, would maybe help her relax. Chloe went to the bed and snagged the clothing off it. She departed from her room and found the bathroom next door on the right across the hall, like he said. It was large with cream and green marble tiles. The shower seemed to be more like a room of its own than the cramped plastic showers she was used too. And there was a huge mirror on the counter taking up most of the wall and circular lights lining down the sides. She laid the clothes onto the counter and glanced in the shower for shampoo and soap. There was some on a small shelf in the back corner. Chloe was satisfied; she twisted the knobs getting the water started, hoping it wouldn't take long to heat up. Before undressing, she made sure to lock the door. _Like that would make a difference_, she thought. _They could probably knock down the door with one hand if they wanted to._ She prayed they didn't.

She held up the purple dress that was supposed to be Resacra's. It appeared long, but had skinny shoulder straps and scooped low in the front. Chloe wondered if Gabrielle had chosen this dress on purpose or if it was just the first thing in the drawer. Oh well. She couldn't complain; after all he was being considerate. This could have been a lot worse; for instance they could have just killed her the moment she arrived, but they didn't.

Steam was rising from the shower; it looked warm and inviting. Still being a little hesitant, Chloe slipped out of her clothes while keeping an eye on the door and hurried into the shower. The hot water felt amazing, sending goose bumps running up and down her arms and legs. While she showered, Chloe decided to use this time to her advantage. She needed to think some things through.

oo

After he left the room, Gabrielle was downstairs in an instant, trying to keep the image of Chloe naked in the shower out of his head. He was afraid if he lingered on the thought more than he should, he would find himself joining her. He couldn't do that; he had to be good. Instead, he went to the last room on the eastern side of the house. It was used as an office for researching or catching up on reading the latest novels. Gabrielle enjoyed reading new age writers, comparing them to the works of authors from his human era. People speak different now, there is much more use of slang in languages than there used to be, he thought. And humans are more up front with their cruelty and hatred towards one another.

Gabrielle stepped into the office and saw Laman had Resacra pinned against one of the bookshelves, exploring the length of her neck with his mouth and her leg hitched on his right hip. They hadn't even noticed his ingress into the room. Well, Gabrielle assumed this room had been used for strictly reading, but he was mistaken. He cleared his throat, and glanced at them with an apologetic look. "I'm sorry for interrupting."

They both collected themselves and straightened back their clothing. "Oh, no it's fine. We shouldn't have started in here," Laman said. "I know you like to use this room a lot."

Gabrielle was not surprised to find them. He would never admit it, not even to Sebastian, but Gabrielle had always been jealous of Laman and Resacra's relationship, having one another to live out eternity with. They are always by themselves, enjoying each other's company, especially during the day. Most times, it would annoy Gabrielle to see them, but today it clouded him with depression. For some reason, his longing for another pierced deep in his chest like a wooden stake to his heart. _How cliché,_ he thought. "If you don't mind, I need to use this room."

"Yes of course, we're leaving right now" Resacra smiled, pulling Laman behind her. Gabrielle could see the lust in her eyes had not vanished from barging in on them because of the silvery mist that lingered in her black spheres. It had been the same with Laman, a color that appeared in a vampire's eyes when their body desired another person. He hoped his eyes hadn't looked like that earlier in front of Chloe.

As they stormed out of the room, Gabrielle thought about the first time they had joined his coven. It had been during the 1920s in central Chicago. He and Sebastian had been visiting all the major cities around the country searching for "trouble"―or that was how Sebastian described it, but Gabrielle was there for the sites―and happened to cross paths with Laman and Resacra at a jazz club in Al Capone's Uptown hangout. Sebastian had found himself a young flapper girl to satisfy his need for sin while Gabrielle relaxed at the bar, watching the saxophone players duel in scales. The speed of their human fingers clanking against the keys of the metal instrument like Mozart to his piano astounded him. Gabrielle had vast respect for the arts.

As he focused on the movement of their playing almost in slow motion through his eyes, Gabrielle had barely been aware of the heated conversation not three bar stools down from him. At first he thought it would turn out another drunken bar fight between two human men overconfident by alcohol or in their own pathetic strength; however, Gabrielle turned his attention from the musicians to the growing tension down the bar and noticed there were in fact three strong, beautifully pale, dangerous vampires in a heated argument. Just as Gabrielle realized this, his full attention was brought to the trio, knowing good and well the dangers and risk of exposing themselves to the couple hundred humans dancing oblivious―at the moment―around them.

Laman had been defending Resacra from another well-built, red haired vampire attempting to convince her that he would have been a more suitable mate for her. Even for a vampire, it was dangerous to steal the mate of another. For many, it takes centuries to find someone companionable not only physically but mentally as well and to take that away would result in grave consequences. For fear that Laman would have lost control, ―and he would have―Gabrielle had stepped in reassuring the red haired vampire that if he knew what was best for him he would leave the club. The vampire knew he had been outnumbered.

After that, Resacra and Laman have dedicated their vampiric lives to following Gabrielle. He assured them that whenever they desired to, they were free to leave, but after a century their place was with him and will always be.

Gabrielle glanced around the room in search of something else to keep his mind off Chloe. Laman and Resacra had been a good distraction, but all the thoughts of vampire mates had his mind slipping back to that beautiful face upstairs, bright blue eyes and pouting lips. He shuddered imagining their warmth soothing his cold hard ones. He could still here the water running from the shower and all he found himself wanting to do was fly back up those stairs and join Chloe giving in to his body's desires; desires he had forgotten he even had. Chloe had awakened them. But he knew he couldn't. There was no way she wanted him the same way he wanted her and in turn would frighten her to death. The last thing he wanted to hear was her scream in distress for reasons he caused. He had heard his fair share of screams on his account, and he was determined Chloe would not be one of them.

His eyes settled on an old record player he'd purchased in the 70s and kept in mint condition on the bottom shelf of the cabinet with glass doors he'd built himself. Above it, two hundred records in alphabetical order sat collecting dust. It had been twenty years since he had enjoyed the static heaven of rhythms and beats a record held. Twenty years felt no more than like a couple days to Gabrielle, but with the technological advances it was a millennia. He snagged the first record his fingers touched and put it on, flipping the clunky switch on the side. Gabrielle plopped down into the leather desk chair and leaned back with his arms behind his head, closing his eyes. The record began playing Frank Sinatra's _Moonlight Serenade._ _Jesus Christ!_ No matter how hard he tried, he could not escape the abusive beatings over the head "love", Frank would say, was giving him. It seemed to be everywhere at the moment. _Damn it, I just met the woman yesterday! _Gabrielle threw his hands up in exasperation. He couldn't help it any longer; he had to see Chloe. He promised himself just to talk to her, no more than that would be acceptable.

The hard wood stairs were nonexistent as Gabrielle dashed to the top, not even feeling them under his shoes. The closer he got to Chloe, the more panicked with excitement he felt. I guess you could say his vampire juices were flowing, leaving his stomach a wreck; worse than last night had been. It felt as though a cat was in him, clawing his insides to get out. Gabrielle saw Chloe was no longer in the bathroom, but had returned to her room and there he stood outside her door. He knew he had to calm himself before knocking for fear the silver mist had crept back, glazing over his eyes. That would be hard to explain. He closed his eyes and took three deep breaths; even though they were pointless they aided him in soothing his thoughts.

From behind the door, Gabrielle heard her walk to the right side of the room assuming she stopped in front of the dresser that was almost as old as he was. He could smell a mixture of the lilac shampoo that he'd put in the bathroom for her and the sweetness of her natural scent caressing his nose through the door. He knew as soon as he opened the door it would be that much stronger and that much more tempting. Gabrielle craved her scent as if it pulled him to her instinctively. He tapped with his knuckle as soft as possible and heard Chloe gasp. He smirked as she ran to the bed and yelled, "Just a second!" Images of her standing in front of the dresser nude fixing her hair bombarded him. He could not stop picturing what she would look like, it changed with every fantasy. One minute Chloe had dark orbed nipples and creamy plumped flesh, and then she had more delicate pink nipples on top of generous sized breasts. His hands began to tingle imagining caressing them. _Damn it all to hell!_ Gabrielle found himself like a horny virgin, the way he kept losing control of his thoughts. He had to relax and he did as he ran through his head the score to the 1812 overture humming the notes out loud, until she opened the door when all remnants of the song left him and he gasped.

oo

Chloe blushed at Gabrielle's shocked face glancing up and down the purple dress he had picked out for her. It was almost a little too snug for her, but not uncomfortable. The stretchy fabric clung to the flesh of her chest and stomach, but then flared some towards the bottom at her knees. She felt as though she had been preparing for a ball or something. Only her hair was still wet hanging stringy at her shoulders and she had no makeup.

"You look beautiful" Gabrielle smiled, waiting for her to invite him in.

It was going to be hard enough for Chloe without him giving her flattering compliments. One of her decisions she made while taking a shower was she planned to find some way to convince him that it would still be safe for them if they allowed her to leave. She would promise to say nothing of what she's learned while staying with Gabrielle's coven and had no intentions of helping her uncle destroy them. That was another problem to her situation. She had grown attached to Gabrielle and could not bear for him to be killed, but she would stay away from him if she could help it. There was no need to get any more involved if she would be leaving soon. There of course was no guarantee that he would let her leave, but she could not stay here forever. Her uncle would find her eventually or the vampires might have to move. _Who knows?_

She had to let him in though as they needed to discuss her freedom. The only thing that gave Chloe any hope that he would say yes, is the fact that she noticed he had also become attached to her as well and maybe cared enough to let her go. She hoped. "Please, come in."

She saw the reluctance on his worried face as she heard the seriousness in her own voice. That was good. She had to be serious and strong, not allowing her insides to melt as she stared into his piercing charcoal eyes. Ever since halfway through their conversation in the living room last night, Gabrielle's eyes had appeared to have more of a misty glow to them, making the color a light charcoal instead of black like Sebastian's had been. She assumed black eyes were a vampire trait, but his continued to lighten the longer she stayed here. Another warning for her to leave; she didn't know if it was a sign for a growing impulse to drink her blood and she was not ready to die yet. She had just gotten out of college; she was only twenty-three for crying out loud. Of course this would happen to her. First her parents dying, then her aunt and cousin; why not follow in their footsteps? _Start a tradition up!_ Lord, if her aunt and cousin were killed by vampires, then maybe her parents were too. Nothing was certain anymore. What had she done to deserve this, she or her uncle? They were good people, right?

The room started to spin as Chloe gasped for air and swayed where she stood. She could not keep the room still no matter how hard she tried to focus on one piece of furniture. It whirled around with a buzzing, tingly sensation inside her head. Her legs began to shake and then her knees gave out. _Great, I worked myself into a panic attack. _

As Chloe expected, Gabrielle had been right there to catch her. Despite her panic attack over vampires to begin with, she was relieved he was there. She felt safe in his cold arms. _How ironic_, she thought. The last place she thought she would feel safe was in the arms of the very kind that killed her family. No, she couldn't think like that anymore. Gabrielle was different. He wasn't the one that had killed them, or was he? There was no way of knowing who he'd taken the lives of in the past; and the other families he had probably destroyed, like her own, from the people he did kill. She shuddered in his arms to think of how many victims he'd held like this drinking the life from them.

"Are you alright?" he asked in an anxious tone. Chloe felt his cold hand brush her wet hair out of her face and cupped one of her cheeks to better examine her state.

"Yes, I'm okay." Chloe knew she hadn't convinced him as he shuffled her over to the bed sitting in the exact positions they had been in her dream. Her cheeks flushed as she leaned away from him. She couldn't be this close to him; it was too dangerous. The closer she was, the cloudier her thoughts became. _Crap! He is too gorgeous. _She stopped fighting him and allowed Gabrielle to hold her. She could feel his freezing skin radiate out from under his gray shirt to her skin. She wondered why he was like that. "Is your skin so cold because you are supposed to be dead?" Chloe had blurted out the question without her brain even processing what she was saying out loud.

Gabrielle lifted his head and stared at her a moment before dropping his arms from around her. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I must be making you unnecessarily cold."

"Actually, it's a nice contrast to the heat in Alabama. Everything here is always so hot and I'm partial to cooler weather." Chloe grimaced at herself. He had been able to calm her without her permission, but she was still curious. "Seriously, are you 'the undead' like people think?"

"No, I am just as alive as you are only our bodies' function a different way. You only think of a dead body from the coldness because that's where humans keep their deceased, in a freezer. Being a vampire is like having a disease; it changes you and shuts down certain organs that have no more use. Let's see, a healthy human's temperature is 98.6° right? Well, a vampire's is around 32°, but it's hard to tell though, considering we warm up after feeding on fresh blood."

Chloe winced as he said the words 'feeding on fresh blood'. She didn't like hearing Gabrielle speak as though it were nothing to do so. Would he feel the same if it were her?

"I'm sorry; I know this makes you uncomfortable, but it's hard to explain things without the horrible details. Blood is not something we choose to drink, it's because we have to. If I was capable, I would never take another sip as long as I exist, but I'm afraid it's not that simple. I could stop drinking, but it wouldn't be without consequence. It would take decades, but after depriving your body of blood for so long, a vampire will lose all their strength and slip into a sleep-like coma for eternity. And the only way of being freed of this nightmare is to have another feed you until your strength returns. It's not a pretty site either, something I would never want you to see." Chloe watched Gabrielle consider his words. She noticed he felt the need for further explanation. "The only reason we need blood is because we cannot contain our own, like humans. We must continually replenish our bodies supply for the infection, if you will, uses up the blood to keep us in perfect condition. Hence the reason we self heal so quickly and our strength. So you see, I am no less alive than you are, just different."

Chloe had been motionless, listening to the elegant sound of his voice. He had never said so much at one time before; it was mesmerizing. He had been defending himself; Chloe couldn't blame him. He did what he had to do to survive. It's what anyone else in the same situation would have done, but she wondered if there were alternatives. "Is there nothing else you can survive off of, like animal blood or donated blood?"

"Animal blood does satisfy us as well as human blood, but do you remember last night when I told you that we also consume the victim's personality and emotions? Well, imagine me if I had drank from a wild bear or a tiger. I would not be able to see reason; I would only be able to react with the animal's natural instincts, mostly the need to protect myself. Vampire's have tried surviving on animal blood in the past, but in truth more humans get hurt that way rather than if they had just fed from one human to start with."

"What about the living on donated bags of human blood?" The subject made Chloe squeamish, but her curiosity continued to get the best of her.

Gabrielle took a breath. "I wish we could survive with just donated blood. It would make the world a safer place for humans, but we can't."

"Why can't you?"

"The longer the blood has settled out of the human body, the less effective it is on ours. Like, if the blood is more than two days old, it will be useless to us and our bodies will begin the process of going into a coma, like I described before. It's just like not drinking blood at all. For instance, it would be as useful to us as soured milk would be to you. Your body rejects it."

"Oh, somehow it loses its potency."

"Yes."

Chloe was astonished at how complicated his life was. _What a burden to be overwhelmed with? __Having to kill humans with no other options to live,_ _it was just unfair._ "I'm sorry." She raised her hand and pressed her palm to his cold, pale cheek. Her hand tingled where it touched, but she held it there gazing into his eyes, wishing there was something she could do.

Chloe saw a silver color rush over his eyes, making them lighter than before almost metallic. And the next thing she knew, Gabrielle had his arms around to her back once again, only this time holding her tighter and his firm lips collapsed to her own. The breath had been knocked right out of her. His kiss was hungry and all alarms went off like red flags in Chloe, warning her to stop him, but she wasn't strong enough. She shoved against his chest, but that made him try even harder to get a response out of her. She could see his eyes were shut tight, frustrated by the lack from her. She wanted to help him, but not like this. They were too different; she belonged with her uncle. There was no future for them to be together, especially with the threat of her being eaten every time he was near her. No, it couldn't happen.

Just then, Gabrielle parted her lips forcing his tongue inside connecting it with hers. It took all of her mental strength to continue to resist. _Oh, who cares? _She moaned into his mouth, giving in. He tasted better than she imagined. She couldn't even describe what it tasted like exactly, but she craved more; her kiss mirroring his. The passion was building up inside her as she draped her arms onto his shoulders and let her hands explored the curves and muscles in his thick neck. It was like caressing a bag of ice, but the longer she held her hands against his skin, the warmer it became. Chloe felt Gabrielle take her wrists pulling them away from him and laid them by her sides. She didn't object this time when his cold fingers, as delicate as possible, slid up her arms forcing her body into convulsing shivers. His long hands rested at her shoulders leaving Chloe pouting as Gabrielle parted from her lips. He smirked from her silent protest, but made Chloe stiffen as his now much warmer lips pressed to her throat. She knew he could sense her worry and lifted his lips an inch from her skin. "Don't be afraid, I won't bite you." His breath beat against her skin and she couldn't help but trust him. His mouth felt so good. Gabrielle kissed down her throat and onto her collarbone, tracing the shape with his tongue. Chloe moaned as shots of electricity jolted through her body. She wanted him.

Gabrielle's right hand snagged her shoulder strap pulling it over her skin and letting it fall to her elbow. Chloe became nervous and excited all at once. It wasn't as though she didn't know what to expect, but she wasn't sure if she could handle this. All her thoughts flew out the window as soon as he pealed the purple fabric from her making her left breast bare to him. The color in his eyes iced over to an even brighter silver; it was more of a blue now. She moaned again and arched her back as soon as his mouth connected with her eager flesh. His breath was cold, causing her nipple to harden under his control. And she was under his control. If he wanted to he could force himself upon her, but she knew he wouldn't do that. But still, the possibility was there. He was so much stronger than she; he could do anything…maybe even unintentionally hurt her. She didn't know. But if she continued to do this, there was no doubt in her mind that she would be emotionally hurt and that she couldn't bear. And she wanted her uncle to know she was alive and the only way to do that would be to leave. This just wasn't meant to be.

oo

Gabrielle could feel his insides turn and a pleasurable fire burned in his chest as he peered down at her exposed breast. Just as he had thought, she was beautiful. Creamy white skin and a rosy nipple staring him in the face; he wanted to know how it felt on his tongue. She had tasted sweeter than she smelled and his mouth watered for more. He held her back as it arched from his cool connection to her skin and listened to her moan; it was like a beautiful melody. He could listen to her voice all day long and never grow tired of it.

Gabrielle knew she believed him when he had said he wouldn't do anything to harm her, but Chloe still seemed to be holding back. He wondered what she was thinking. Was this not as pleasurable for her as it was for him? Was he doing something wrong? He was out of practice, but it's not something that's easy to screw up. He pulled away from her breast and cupped it with his hand caressing it gently, making her shudder. He kissed up her throat and ended back onto her lips, but only pecked them a few times before parting from her. "Is there something wrong?" He wanted to know.

"No, everything is fine." She pulled her strap back onto her shoulder, covering her chest.

Gabrielle could always tell when she was lying. For one she wasn't very good at it and second, her cheeks would flush and she would drop her gaze to her lap every time. "You're not telling me something."

"I just don't see how this could work. We are from two different worlds and mine is with my uncle."

That hurt a little, "I can see how you would think that. And you're right; there is no reason to keep you here any longer. It was stupid of Sebastian to bring you. I know your uncle must be worried about you." Gabrielle internally grimaced. He had been so wrapped up in Chloe's presence, he had forgotten that it was her uncle and his posse that had killed Jarred in the beginning and vampire's do not take lightly to human's that kill their own kind. However, he knew he could not destroy Dunn because it would upset Chloe. No matter what happened, he was determined he wouldn't be the one to do anything to hurt her or disappoint her. And he be damned if anyone else did either.

"If I take you home, do you promise you won't say anything to anyone about us? Our existence remaining unknown is imperative to our survival and the others in my coven would be furious with me if we were discovered. Let's say I'm kind of breaking the law by allowing you to live."

Chloe swallowed hard and whispered in a feeble voice, "I promise."

He didn't want her to leave. She had brought a fire back to life in him that had been ashes for so long, it would be hard to say goodbye to that. But if this was what she wanted, he couldn't deny her this. He would return her back to where she came from and suffer in silence for the rest of his life. He felt like he was being dramatic, but he knew this was going to hurt. He had waited so long for a woman like Chloe to spark his attention and he was going to lose her all in the course of two days. But it's for the best.

"Where do you live? Our lair is in Good Hope and I want to know if I need to take a car or just run."

Chloe furrowed her brow and glanced up at him, "I live in Good Hope."

"Oh." It seemed to Gabrielle, that they had been destined to meet from the beginning. _Why, _when he was about to lose her? "Then we can just run."

Chloe gave him her exact address while she gathered up her belongings. "Do you want the dress back?" she asked.

"No, you can keep it. Maybe it will remind you of me." _Ugh!_ He wanted to put his foot in his mouth. He was making this harder for both of them. She nodded her head and followed him down the stairs and out the front door.

The sun was already setting and if he didn't look towards it, he would be okay. Gabrielle watched as Chloe waited for him to lead the way, but scooped her up in his arms instead. And before she could react he was flying through the trees, smelling the lilac shampoo whipping in his face as her now dry hair blew in the wind from his speed. Gabrielle looked straight ahead, but knew Chloe was staring at him, perhaps trying to decipher what he was thinking. He was hoping she would change her mind and stay with him, but he also knew she was stubborn and would stick to her original plan. He had liked that about her, but now not so much.

In a matter of minutes they were at the edge of the trees and across the field was her yellow house. He set her down and backed further into the sanctuary the trees provided him. "This is as far as I go. I do not want to risk being seen."

He knew Chloe understood and she walked towards the field. She took four steps before turning back to peer at Gabrielle. "I'm sorry. I wish things were different, but…"

"Just go…don't worry about me." Gabrielle wanted to grab her back in his arms and take her away, but he resisted. _This is what she wants_, he kept telling himself. He watched as she hesitated a moment and then started for her house. Gabrielle couldn't stand to see her go, so he turned his back to her as well and receded into the trees, leaving only a whoosh of dirt to fill the air.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Chloe massaged her shoulders trying to knead out the knot that had formed over the course of two days. She had never been a person to stress over every little thing, but these past few days had been more than she could tolerate. It had taken everything she had to convince her uncle she had no knowledge of where the vampires were or that she had no idea how she escaped.

"One minute I was being kidnapped and the next I was wandering in the woods. I don't know uncle!"

"What do you mean you don't know? Do you not even remember how you got into those clothes?" Her uncle had been so furious and started accusing the vampires of wiping her memory. Nick had whaled around the room spitting out random words like "powers" and "mind control." Chloe hated letting her uncle believe things she knew were false, but if she told him the truth, Gabrielle's coven would hunt them down and kill them. It was for his own protection. As much as he was enraged at the vampires, he was also beyond ecstatic she came home to him in one piece.

After Chloe had stumbled through the itchy blades in the field and made it down the dirt driveway to her house barefoot, her uncle had released the shovels and hatchets he'd been loading in his truck, ignoring the clatter they made, and ran to her like nothing else in the world mattered. Nick had dropped to his knees clasping around Chloe's waist, squeezing her so tight she could hardly move. Her eyes watered over as soon as she saw her uncle was crying. "I thought I'd lost you!"

"I'm here, I'm okay." Chloe said rubbing her hand against his thinning hair.

After that it had been never ending questions about what had happened. At first he asked if she was hurt or had been bitten anywhere and then the stream of interrogations on the whereabouts of the vampires. It had been exhausting.

And not to mention, she had started her new job today. Boy, did her uncle throw a fit over that one. Chloe needed to do this though. If she was ever to get her life back in order, she needed something normal and _human_ to do. Working at Trenton's seemed to be the only way to do it and also, it would be a good distraction to keep her mind off Gabrielle. Every now and then her mind would slip and she would wonder if he was okay or what it would have been like if she had stayed. He was such a dominant person, all of Chloe's energy, emotions, life force just poured out of her when she had been around him. He was intoxicating and that Chloe had guessed was the true reason she left. She had never felt that before and it scared her. She wouldn't be in control of her own life with him and so she returned to a place where she could be.

Chloe convinced her uncle that working would be a good thing for her and if she needed anyone, Trenton's had a nurse on standby there. The only way he agreed to let her work in Wetumpka is if he was the one to drop her off in the mornings and be there waiting afterwards. She was not allowed to go anywhere else in town and she could not pick up something for lunch; it was to be brought with her every day. "Aren't you being a little paranoid?" she asked him that morning.

"I'm not letting you out of my sight. I would die before I let them take away anymore of my family."

"I don't think you have to worry. If they wanted to kill me, they would have done it already. And I don't want this to conflict with your work schedule, uncle. You don't need to lose your job over this." Chloe was worried he would blow a lid if he tried any harder to protect her.

"I won't lose my job. I'm changing my schedule to match yours. And the days I can't, I am going to have Jake or Ethan look after you. I'll see you this afternoon." Chloe huffed in annoyance when her uncle hadn't driven off until she was inside the building. It would be awhile for her uncle to get over this, in fact it would take awhile for her to get over this, she thought.

All throughout the day, she had tried not to think of anything but her tasks at hand, which were setting up her station in the office room at the front of the building and meeting the other employees she would be working with. _Simple for a first day._ She could do simple or so she had thought. The day had been filled with busy work for her hands, but her brain had not been so lucky. It was a constant thought that bubbled in the back of her mind, threatening to boil over. _Pencils go here, names of children in this file…Gabrielle's cool breath on my face…damn it!_ She couldn't get away from him. He had left an imprint and not just with his physical attractiveness, with his words too. All he had explained to Chloe seemed vital to her for some reason, like she would need to know these things for future reference. _What does that mean?_ She didn't know, but there was no need to worry about it now.

When she met the two other women working at Trenton's, one a middle aged single mom and another younger girl like herself, she had noticed they and John Stanley hadn't said anything about her disappearance. _Had they not watched TV or read the newspaper? Surely they would know that she had been kidnapped._ But no one had said anything to her about it. They didn't know. Her uncle hadn't called the police. After Chloe thought about it, why would he call the police? He knew who the criminals were and what they were after. It was just a matter of locating her and in the end there had been no need for that. She was fine. And no one at her work would have to worry about it either. In the end, Chloe was glad no one knew. Obviously they wouldn't have known _who_ did it, but she was happy she wasn't in the spotlight. Attention is something that has never seen eye to eye with Chloe.

"Good evening, Chloe."

"Mr. Stanley! Oh, you startled me." She had been so consumed in her thoughts, she never saw her boss come into the office room.

"I'm sorry about that my dear. Just wanted to make sure you were all settled in."

"About. Thank you."

"Sure. Oh and you can go home now if you like. I know it's an hour early, but your real job starts tomorrow and you should go home and relax. Sometimes these kids can be a lot to handle."

_Ha!_ Chloe laughed to herself. _Children hard to handle?_ After dealing with vampires, children seemed a cake walk in comparison. "Right. Will do. See you tomorrow Mr. Stanley."

He nodded his head and left the room. Chloe was relieved she could go home. Despite her attempt to avoid the subject of vampires and her uncle, she had failed and a good night's rest was in order. That is, if her uncle would let her. She prayed he had no more questions for her and would leave her in peace for just one night.

When she walked out of the building, the sky had turned a burnt orange and there was no breeze. The air was calm, dead calm and hot. The moment Chloe stepped outside, her clothes began to stick to her like a wrapper to a melting Popsicle. She wanted to get home and take a cold shower as soon as possible.

She glanced around the parking lot and saw her uncle's truck waiting for her, even though she was leaving an hour early. _Should have known_, Chloe rolled her eyes. Nick kept his eyes on her the whole walk to the truck and smiled when she climbed into the passenger side. "So, how was your first day?"

Chloe stared at him astonished. "Fine, what brought on the good mood?"

"Nothing, just happy to see you." Nick turned the ignition roaring the truck to life and pulled out of the parking lot with caution. The smile had remained with him for half the drive down Highway 65 and then he started whistling some made up tune.

"What is with you?" Chloe was getting frustrated. Her uncle was acting unusually cheerful and knowing him there was a reason for it. "Stop whistling."

"Why, you don't like it?"

"I want to know what's going on!"

"Calm down, nothing's going on honey."

"Then why are you so damn chipper?"

"Don't use that language with me. You are a southern lady and southern ladies don't speak that way." She hadn't broken his mood.

They were almost home, about five minutes away. Nick slowed to a halt at the four way stop just before the turn off to their driveway and Chloe was not about to let this go. Something was up. "Screw being a southern lady. Tell me uncle what you know."

"It's nothing you need to worry about. I will explain later if it calls for it. Well, we may need you, but not now."

Chloe was beyond confused, but whatever he was hiding she was determined to find out. _If it had anything to do with Gabrielle…if they had found his hideout. _She shuddered to think. Not only did she want him to remain undiscovered, she also wanted her uncle to stay away from them. Chloe knew they would kill him if he beleaguered the vampires in any way. However, after everything her uncle had been doing to catch them, they might have just packed up and left by now. She wanted that to be true, they would be secure in another town, but then again she felt safer knowing Gabrielle was only a few minutes from her house. But if her uncle ever found out. What was she saying? These were vampires. How could she feel safe with a vampire? Chloe rushed to inhale deep, trying to resist the panic attack that was on the brink of taking over and kept her eyes shut till they reached the house.

"You don't look so good, maybe you should go lie down" Nick said as he parked behind her blue van, but didn't cut the engine.

She scooted out of the truck and realized he wasn't getting out. "Where are you going?"

"I'll be at Ethan's if you need me. There are some matters we need to discuss."

"Uncle Nick, don't. Stay with me."

"Don't worry, I'm not leaving you alone. Jake will be here any minute to watch over you. He'll just stay in the living room till I get back."

That wasn't what she meant. Chloe didn't want her uncle planning schemes to hunt the vampires. She wanted him at home, safe with her. "Uncle."

"Stop your worrying. Now get inside." Chloe knew she wouldn't win this, so she did as she was told. As soon as she walked through the front door, she heard another car pulling up to the house. It was his friend, Jake. _Great_. That's all she needs to relax is someone she hardly knows coming to babysit her like a five year old. _How comforting?_ And with her uncle running around out there, doing God knows what to find vampires. She was mad now and didn't want to interface with her uncle's friend; so she stormed off to the bathroom hoping that cold shower would calm her down.

The spraying of the water sounded through the small bathroom as Chloe slid out of her work clothes. They had sweat stains under the arms and would have to be dry cleaned as soon as possible. _Gross_, she thought. She heard the front door slam over the water and quickly locked the door. Chloe was not going to be disturbed. She finished undressing and stared at her body in the mirror for a minute. She couldn't understand how Gabrielle had thought she was beautiful. Sure, she wasn't ugly, but a little more rounded and curved than most girls her age and breasts way to generous for her taste. She knew most men preferred leggy, model types and that was something she definitely was not.

_Oh well_, she thought and hopped into the shower. It might have been a little too cold. She shivered about five times and then her lower lip started to quiver before she lifted her hand to turn the hot knob up some more. Before she did, Chloe couldn't help but imagine it was Gabirelle's cold arms wrapped around her instead of the water beating onto her shoulders and back. It felt nice. All that had happened before she made him take her home exploded into her mind. She had tried so hard to repress the memory in fear of wanting to return, but it was too difficult with the coldness of the water yanking it out of her. She shivered from the eager thoughts of having him near her again. The water's temperature no longer affected her. The chill bumps receded and she shivered no more. _Hum_, she wondered if it would be the same with him. The longer she was with him, the more familiar she would be of his affects he had on her. Maybe they wouldn't be as strong. But would that be what she wanted? For him to lose the pull he had her experiencing. Chloe didn't know what to think anymore. Her mind was so twisted and confused.

After a moment longer, she decided the shower wasn't going to be much help after all and finished bathing. She stepped out onto the cream rug, dripping puddles onto it while she dried herself as best she could. Glancing around, she didn't see her clean clothes. She had forgotten to grab some before getting in. _Wonderful_. Hopefully, Jake wouldn't be paying attention down the hall and wouldn't see her wrapped in just a towel. She was already insecure about her looks and she didn't want a middle aged man ogling her flaws.

Chloe cracked the door an inch and saw Jake sitting on the couch watching TV. He appeared to be focused pretty hard on what he was watching, so she felt confident she could make it to her room without him seeing her. She was right; he was no more paying attention than a deaf dog. Some guardian he was supposed to be.

She changed into some pajamas that were almost suitable to wear in public, a t-shirt and some cotton pants cut off at the knees, just in case. She figured Jake would want to say something to her, but Chloe hoped he would just stay in the other room until her uncle returned. Buffing her hair and getting as much water out as she could, Chloe had no intentions of drying it. She would leave the bed head worry for tomorrow. Right now, she had to focus on her job and relaxing, something she hadn't done since before Sebastian had taken her.

The bed was fluffy and the purple covers smelt like fabric softener; she had just washed the sheets last night and was excited to be clean climbing into a warm fresh bed, one of her favorite feelings. She felt like a new person, with her new job and new outlook on life. She was going to not take for granted any of the smaller things anymore. And she would try as best she could to keep her uncle safe. Now, that she knew his secret life as a vampire hunter, things had to change. She would make him see, that not all vampires are evil and for her, he couldn't keep going off at night risking his life for revenge. She needed him and Chloe knew he needed her just as much.

A knock on the door brought her from her reverie. It was Jake. "Come in."

"Hey girl. I just wanted to make sure you were all right. You gave us all quite a scare."

"Yeah, sorry about that."

"Wasn't your fault. Just glad to see you didn't get eaten."

Chloe didn't know what to say; his word choice wasn't exactly ideal for comfort. "Thanks." "Can I ask you something?"

"Yes" He paused before her bed.

"How much do you know about vampires?"

"Well, I know that they need fresh human blood to survive and you can kill them by hacking their heads off."

Chloe cringed from the thought of him cutting Gabrielle's head. She didn't want that to happen either. "Did you get that scare from one? Sorry if it's too personal. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"It's alright. I was coming home from work one evening and my fiancée, Sara, was living with me at the time. She was preparing Italian Spaghetti with meatballs for dinner that night. She was an amazing cook; I told her tons of times she should have started her own restaurant, but she refused. Said the only customer she ever wanted to serve was me. We were in love and she was the only woman who had stuck with me for more than two years. I was so happy to have found her at a Bull's game in Birmingham. She thought I had stolen her seat, but really she was supposed to sit next to me and from there we couldn't stop talking and flirting."

"That is so sweet." Chloe smiled, but then prepared herself for the horrible ending she knew was coming. "What happened next?"

"When I got home that evening, I found the garlic bread burning in the toaster and red spaghetti sauce covering the walls from bubbling out of the pot. I turned every thing off, before the smoke alarms went off. Then, I called out her name, but she never answered. That's when I heard this thud coming from the upstairs bedroom. I thought she might have fallen and hurt herself or something, but no. There, Sara was pale and blue, dead with a monster standing over her lifeless body like he had just had the most savory of steaks. He looked proud of himself. That's when I lost it. I charged him with no weapon and in result had two broken ribs, a broken collar bone, sprang ankle and a cut down the side of my face scaring me for life. I guess he didn't care to kill me since he wasn't going to feed anymore. Or thought I would just bleed to death right then, but I didn't and now I have dedicated my life to destroying the ones who destroyed my life. Cause she was my life, she was all I had and I can never get her back. " Jake dropped his head and looked away as to collect himself. Chloe could tell he didn't want to start crying in front of her and she assumed he had cried on many occasions on his own. _The poor man_.

"I'm sorry. I know what it's like to lose a loved one. And that's why I wish my uncle would stop all this nonsense for revenge. He is just going to get himself killed and he's all I got." Jake had pulled himself together and peered into Chloe's eyes. He looked guilty about something and she wondered if he knew why her uncle acted so weird in the truck earlier. "Do you know what's going on with my uncle? Please, it's important Jake."

"I don't know."

"Yes you do. I can see it in your eyes. What are y'all hiding?"

"I promised him I wouldn't tell you. And I intend on keeping that promise."

"If anything happens to him, I swear I will kill all of you myself."

"Easy! Everything will be fine."

"You three have got to stop this, hunting. You can't keep fighting them by yourselves."

Jake folded his arms shooting her a stubborn glance, "Yes we can."

"Then you'll die fighting."

"Maybe, but that is a risk I'm willing to take."

"Well, maybe I'm not willing to risk my uncle. And if I have to I will follow him on one of your hunts to stop him." Chloe was beyond frustrated. They were grown men acting so stupid, being careless with their lives.

"You wouldn't."

"Try me."

"What if you get kidnapped again?"

"Well, it wouldn't be my fault would it?"

Jake stormed to the door; he seemed just as furious with the situation as she was. "I'll be sure to inform him of your intentions. Good night." He closed the door making the picture above the light switch swing back and forth. Chloe wanted to throw something, she was so angry with them. _If they want to kill themselves, then fine. Go ahead_. She dropped her head against the pillow and fumed under her clean covers until sleep finally overtook her, which wasn't until three that morning. Chloe would be irritable for work the next day, but at least with the children there would be a mental distraction as well this time.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

"Well, why don't we just move and then we wouldn't have to worry about the hunters" Resacra exclaimed walking over to Laman's side by the fireplace and brushing her long brown hair behind her ear. Gabrielle knew they were all worried and even angry he'd let Chloe go. Well, angry didn't quite cover it. They were furious. It was one simple rule all vampires had to obey and that was to remain hidden. No human was allowed to learn of them unless death would partake in the arrangement and the others knew Gabrielle had ignored this, risking their lives.

"Or we can just let them come for us and fight" Sebastian suggested.

"We don't want to make a big scene of this. No more humans need to be involved" Gabrielle said. He watched Sebastian glow with anger at his words like a fire was burning inside him. Gabrielle didn't blame him for being upset.

"No more humans? The reason any humans are involved in the first place is because of you! This whole thing is your fault; putting our family in danger like this over some stupid human!" Sebastian was fuming now, crouched low as if he planned to pounce on Gabrielle.

_Sebastian had been the one to bring the girl to the lair to begin with._ If he hadn't, Gabrielle wouldn't have been tempted and told her everything. He wanted to throw that back in Sebastian's face, but he wouldn't. He had already caused enough trouble with the coven. "You're right I'm sorry about this, about everything."

"I think we should just go now and kill those pathetic hunters, before they find us."

Gabrielle jumped from his seat. "No, you can't do that! Besides, we don't have Preston with us and we need everyone to face them." He was relieved he had Preston as an excuse not to leave. Gabrielle didn't want Dunn's death on his hands and not to mention what it would do to Chloe if they did kill him.

"He's right Sebastian. It will take all of us. The hunters have more experience dealing with our kind than we thought" Laman agreed.

"Fine, where is Preston? The sooner he returns, the sooner we can go after the humans."

"Preston is in Montgomery, our new feeding ground. He needed some time alone. He's still grieving over the loss of Jarred as I'm sure we all are."

Gabrielle nodded to Laman; the death of Jarred had been a tremendous loss for their family. It wasn't something they could easily forgive. Gabrielle knew Preston and the others would want the hunter's blood in revenge for Jarred's and this time, he didn't think he would be able to intervene for Chloe's sake. Blood for blood, which was the way vampires settle things.

"Lord, Preston's going to come back looking to debate issues or something, considering Montgomery is where all the politicians of this state are." That was the Sebastian Gabrielle had been drawn to from the beginning; always seeing the humor side of situations. At least Sebastian still had that, he thought.

Resacra stepped forward with her hands raised palms up. "Is that all you men can think about is fighting."

"Oh come on Resacra, you must be eager for some bloodshed over Jarred too" Sebastian pressed.

"Yes, but must we always go out swords held high and guns blazing. I mean you men have never done things discretely before, have you?"

Sebastian glanced at Laman, who shrugged his shoulders. "What about my earlier suggestion, we could pack up and go. Then, we wouldn't have to deal with them at all. It's not like humans haven't known about us before and no one in town would believe these hunters if they told anyone."

"We can't leave" Gabrielle spat so fast Resacra barely finished her sentence.

"Why not?"

"Because…these hunters seem determined and I'm sure they would follow us wherever we went."

Resacra arched her eyebrow and looked to Laman, who had a quick smirk appear on his face. "I think I know what's going on here. You have found your mate, haven't you?"

Sebastian shot a puzzled look to Gabrielle, "What is he talking about?"

"I don't know, Sebastian."

Laman laughed, "Oh yes he does. Chloe is his vampire mate, that's why he can't leave."

"What? Oh this is just great, perfect! No wonder you have been acting like an idiot these past few days" Sebastian said annoyed.

"Well this certainly complicates things" Resacra said sitting down on the leather couch. "Have you said anything about it to her?"

"No, I'm not even sure she really is my vampire mate."

Laman came and sat next to Resacra and stared at Gabrielle, "Well do you have trouble keeping your thoughts together around her?"

"Yes."

"And do you constantly think about her when she is out of sight?"

These questions were hard to admit in front of the others and somewhat embarrassing, but Gabrielle knew this would allow them to understand. "Yes."

"Do you feel a connection, far greater than you have ever encountered before with her and is there a pull drawing you to her?" Laman grinned holding Resacra's hand in his while he spoke.

"Obviously."

"Then, yes I believe you have found your mate."

"This is more than I can handle, if you need me I'll be in my room" Sebastian said heading towards the stairs. Gabrielle had always assumed Sebastian had also been jealous of Laman and Resacra's relationship and now that he had discovered his own partner, it might in fact be too much for him. Gabrielle didn't think it had bothered him before because they were both on the same boat like brothers coping with eternity, but now Sebastian would be an odd man out. There was of course Preston, but he was a newborn and had much to learn before worrying about things like mates and spending eternity alone. Gabrielle would have to talk to Sebastian later, but for now he would give him time to think and calm down.

"So, what are we going to do about this?" Resacra asked. "Let's see, if Chloe is your mate, then upsetting her by killing her uncle will be out of the question. Am I right?"

"Yes, I will not be able to do it and I would prefer if no one else did either."

"Fine. And you haven't told her anything? Do you plan on telling her you two were meant to be together?"

"She believes the opposite. We are from 'two different worlds', she said. I couldn't deny her what she wanted, to go home."

"Yes that's to be expected" Laman said closing his eyes to think.

"I won't force her to be with me if she doesn't want to" Gabrielle exclaimed. He knew they would understand his reasoning for staying, but he couldn't allow them to do the same for him. "I know I can't leave, but there is no reason for all of you to suffer with me. You can leave, Resacra, and find somewhere else to live if that will please everyone; take Sebastian and Preston with you as well. They don't need to be a part of this either; they'll only get themselves killed."

Resacra turned to look at Laman, exchanging expressions that appeared to be one in the same. "No, we will not leave. Our place is with you and I'm sure Sebastian would agree. If one of us suffers, then we all suffer together" Resacra smiled. "We are staying. And we can help you with Chloe. Trust us we know a lot about vampire mates."

"I guess you're right. I have no idea what to expect."

Laman laughed, "Well most of it will come naturally to you. I must warn you, it can be a powerful thing. One minute you can be searching for a book in the library and then next you're following the woman to a beauty shop and you don't even realize you left the library to begin with."

"Was that how it happened for you two?" Gabrielle asked still a little embarrassed from the personal conversation they were having, but it was like Laman had said, a natural thing.

"Yes, but that was before. I followed Resacra everywhere like a puppy, making sure she stayed out of trouble."

"And you were so annoying! I couldn't get rid of you no matter how hard I tried. So, I finally just gave in" Resacra giggled.

Gabrielle was curious now. He hadn't known Laman found Resacra in her human form before they were together; he always thought she had been an immortal when they found each other. "Did you love him, when you were human?"

"It was hard not to. Shall we say, he swept me off my feet?"

"When did you find out he was a vampire?"

"I knew from the beginning. He would always babble about his whole life to me without even breathing. I am assuming that's what Laman meant by losing control of your thoughts around your mate."

This all sounded very familiar to Gabrielle. It was exactly how he had acted with Chloe. The more they discussed vampire mates, the more Gabrielle was starting to believe he really was meant to be with Chloe, but the issue of her turning was another concern. "When did you decide to become a vampire?"

"Oh well, this was in the late eighteen hundreds and so arranged marriages were still very popular for young women and my father had found me a 'proper business man' for me to wed. I refused and tried to escape to Laman's place he was staying at at the time, which wasn't far away, but my father caught me sneaking out. He told me he was going to lock me up until the day of my wedding and then my husband could deal with me after. I knew I couldn't live like that, with someone I didn't even know or love. It was horrifying. That night, Laman came and broke me out and towed me away to his place. I told him of my father's plans for me and that wasn't what I wanted. I wanted him and the only way we were going to be able to be together is if I was like him. And here we are…"

Gabrielle considered her story. Today was different; Chloe wouldn't have to worry about being forced into marriage and having decisions made for her. Women were independent now. She would have nothing persuading her to commit to being Gabrielle's mate. This had failure written all over it. "I don't think Chloe will want to be with me."

Laman squeezed Resacra's hand and glanced to Gabrielle, "She was only here a day, maybe you could ease Chloe into the idea of being with you. I know she's human, but they can also sense the draw to a mate. I'm surprised she didn't stay here with you before."

"Chloe's very stubborn and if her uncle hadn't been a hunter out to kill us, this might have turned out different."

"Yeah you might have never gotten to meet her at all" Laman rolled his eyes. "You talk as if you have already lost her. Just give it some time, but not too much time. Have you considered turning her?"

"I wouldn't do anything she doesn't want. If the time ever came and she wanted me to turn her, then yes, but for now I know that's not what she wants."

"Do you know? I mean do you truly know what she's thinking? She might just be scared because you're a vampire and confused because she feels the same desire for you that you have for her. Maybe you should try talking to her, explaining the situation. If she is willing, then you'll know her true feelings."

Gabrielle thought for a moment. If Laman was right, maybe he could convince Chloe of his love for her and find out if the feelings are mutual. And if not, then he would leave her alone and watch her age from a distance. He grimaced at that last thought; he didn't want to watch her grow old and die, but anything would be better than to have never found her to begin with. "You're right. I should at least talk to her and see what she thinks about all of this. Even though, she will probably scream and kick me out…"

Resacra laughed and shook her head, "You might be surprised. Immortal love is much stronger and hard to ignore. I'm sure she thinks about you as much as you think of her."

"We shall see. I'll have to figure out a way to see her without her uncle finding out, late at night perhaps. I will go tomorrow night."


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

"Alright everyone settle down!" Chloe yelled over the room of giggling and talkative children. It was her job to find activities to do with the five through seven year olds. They had finished their physical activity of basketball and it was up to her to calm them down and do something thought provoking before it was time to leave. So, Chloe decided to make the children form a circle on the floor, everyone sitting Indian-style. She did as well, making herself come down to their level, which was psychologically comforting to a child. Chloe figured they would go around the room and each one say something they enjoyed about their home life. She thought that would give the children something positive to think about and consider what other families were doing. It might even give them ideas that they could share with their parents. Chloe would have to research later on better things they could do at this time of the day, but for now this seemed pretty good.

She called on the little girl with green ribbons on her pigtails that sat beside her, "I don't know everyone yet. So, can you tell us your name and something you like to do at home with your family? For example, I'm Miss Chloe and I like to cook with my uncle. Now you."

"Yes, my name is Lauren and I like to play Barbie's with my sister."

"Oh, that's fun to do. I used play Barbie's all the time, but I didn't have anyone to play with me. You're very lucky to have a sister to play with." Chloe looked to the little blonde headed boy next to Lauren and smiled. "We are just going to go around the circle, so who is ever next; tell us the same thing, your name and something you like to do at home."

"I'm Jordan and I like to feed my dad's fishes with him. I usually feed them too much, but daddy never gets on to me and we have fun watching them swim in their little house. Oh, and the house is bright colors and it glows when the lights are out. I like it when it glows."

"Really? I never had a fish before. It sounds like a lot of fun." Chloe could see the kids were really thinking hard about this and enjoying the different things they do with their families. Some even had funny stories to go along with what they had to say, like one little boy with cherry red hair and freckles covering his face, Sammy, described one day with his brother. They had been skating on the driveway and weren't very good at it yet and ended up colliding with one another. It was cute. Chloe loved talking with the kids; they never ceased to surprise her with the interesting things they had to say. This was the whole reason for her major, and she loved it.

Next week would be much different, considering the children would be starting school and would only come after. There wouldn't be as much work to do. Chloe was dreading it, knowing she would have more time to think about Gabrielle and the vampires. Today had been really good. She had only thought about him twice; her mind had been consumed with the little kids.

"Okay, thank you for those amazing stories. I hope everyone has learned other things you might be able to do with your families that would be fun. Tomorrow I will find something creative for us to do that might involve drawing and painting. So tell your parents to send you in some clothes they wouldn't mind you getting messy in. Don't forget."

Their high pitched voices echoed through the room as they grabbed their lunchboxes and bags. Chloe liked the children but was relieved it was time for them to leave. Her butt had started tingling from sitting on the floor for too long and her head was beginning to hurt. It had been a good day, but very long. And even though she hadn't thought that much about Gabrielle, he was still there in the back of her mind festering like a sore. Only, it wasn't getting better, but worsening. Every day or every minute even, the need to see Gabrielle one last time continued to grow. She constantly found herself trying to remember the path through the trees back to their hide out; if she could find it. That was impossible though, from him running so fast the day he brought her home. She would never be able to locate the exact path and would probably just get lost in the woods. Her uncle would kill her if she even tried that. But the urge to see Gabrielle's beautiful face and flowing blonde hair settling around his thick, smooth neck was eating away at her. She wanted to touch his cold skin again and him to touch her again. _No, stop thinking that._ That would only lead to trouble and the urges had to be some sort of vampire thing for luring prey like she had thought before. Nothing else made sense.

"Chloe, I wanted to say that I was listening to the children a few minutes ago and they just love you. I think you are doing a wonderful job with them. So, keep up the good work."

"Thanks Mr. Stanley. I will see you tomorrow." She never even heard him come in. _Man_, Chloe had to keep better control of her thoughts or she would miss something more important like a tornado siren or fire alarm the rate she was going. And that might not be good for the children.

She put her things lying out on her desk away in file drawers and grabbed her purse from the back. Chloe was for once happy that her uncle would be waiting outside to take her home. Her bed had been calling her halfway through the children's stories and she wanted to collapse onto the pillows as soon as she could. Her boss had been right; those kids can wear you out. She walked outside to the warm breeze stirring. It was a beautiful evening, bright colors casting over the sky, oranges, pinks, purples. You could say it was a work of art.

She stood there a moment wondering what Gabrielle was doing right now. _Was he in another state or out with his coven?_ Oh, maybe she didn't want to know, especially if they were having dinner. Chloe laughed at herself for covering up the frightening task they had to do to survive, drinking blood, with something that was normal sounding. She felt sorry for the people that would end up as a meal for them. _Not something to stand in line for. They had to hate it every time they drank from someone, taking their life away._ She hoped. Chloe cringed at the thought and then looked around for her uncle's beat up red truck, but jumped when someone blew their horn next to where she was standing. An older man with grey hair waved her over to a small silver Buick. She rolled her eyes as soon as she had recognized him. He was one of her uncle's friends. She had seen him once, before she went off to college.

"Hey, I'm supposed to take you to my place tonight."

"Great." There went her evening of relaxation on her bed. All she wanted to do was go home and of course her uncle would ruin that today of all days.

"I'm Ethan, it's nice to finally meet you."

"Yeah" Chloe huffed tossing her purse onto the seat and sitting down into the low car. Her knees felt like they were going to hit the sides of her head if she were sitting any lower to the ground. She slammed the heavy door and waited for him to leave the parking lot.

"Well, I can see we're not in a good mood today."

"Would you be if your family were keeping you hostage and treating you like a five year old making people watch you?" Chloe hated this. They were treating her worse than the vampires had. She wished she was back there with them right now instead. _Wow, that's saying a lot._

"I guess not, but maybe you will change your mind after we get there. Your uncle wants you to do something for him, but he is going to meet us there later. You are supposed to just wait and relax for a little while. Do you want something to eat? I can pick up some dinner on the way there."

Chloe had been locked on the first thing Ethan had said ignoring the part about dinner. "What is it? Is this about why he has been in a better mood lately?"

"Well, he was in a better mood until he found out he couldn't get anything out…well, I'm not supposed to tell you yet."

"What? Oh come on, I'm going to find out soon anyways. Please, this has been driving me crazy."

"Okay fine, but if your uncle finds out it's my head. He doesn't know how you'll react, since you don't remember anything that happened to you."

Chloe was anxious now wanting him to spit it out. It was killing her to know and if it had to do with Gabrielle and the coven, she had to know they were all right. "I'm sure I'll be fine. Maybe I can help" Chloe lied. She wouldn't say anything like she promised and she had to keep calm no matter what. She couldn't give away that she remembered everything from her kidnapping.

"That's what your uncle's hoping. He hasn't had much luck with him and we were thinking maybe if you spoke with him, you might remember something."

"What? Him?"

"We captured one of the vampires that had kidnapped you and we have him in my storm cellar."

Chloe's mouth dropped open like a dead fish and held in the ravings that were bursting at the back of her throat to come out. _Oh my god! _It was worse than she thought. _They have Gabrielle!_ She closed her mouth and sank in her seat, trying not to cry. Crying would evoke questions, she thought. _Calm, stay calm. He is going to be alright. He is a vampire after all. Why hasn't he just broken the door down and escaped? What had they done to him?_ A rush of fear and adrenaline coursed through her at the thought of Gabrielle lying broken and helpless in Ethan's dark cellar. She had to do something or talk to him before her uncle came. Maybe she could help him escape somehow. Chloe didn't know how she would explain that one to her uncle, but she couldn't just do nothing. This was Gabrielle. Suddenly, as well as more fear, an excitement came over her; she was going to see Gabrielle again. She was more excited than she thought she would have felt in this situation and that convinced her she liked him. Well, of course she liked him; she had never felt like this about anyone before and she had only met him almost a week ago.

"I know you must be scared. Don't worry, he won't harm you. We have him chained to the wall."

_Chained to the wall? Chains wouldn't hold a vampire would they?_ Chloe looked over at Ethan who had been studying her reaction the whole time. She tried to relax as best she could while he was watching her. "I'll be fine. Can I speak with him?"

Ethan raised his eyebrows, "I'm not sure that's such a good idea. We should wait for your uncle."

"But you said you wanted me to talk to him? Please, we don't have to wait for my uncle. I'll be safe like you said right? So, let me talk to him."

"I don't know…"

"Come on, if I see him it might jar my memory. Please?"

"Okay, but only for a minute and then we wait for your uncle, deal?"

"Deal."

"And don't go fainting on me or something. Your uncle is going to kill me…" Ethan was now more talking to himself than to Chloe as they made their way down 65. Ethan's house was closer to Wetumpka than hers, she remembered her uncle saying the other day. Hopefully, they were almost there. Chloe couldn't sit still; something had to be moving whether it be her toes wiggling in her shoes or a finger tapping on her leg or even her tongue rolling around in her mouth. She was a nervous wreck, contemplating how she was going to do this. She would have to wing it, she thought. No doubt about that and it had to happen before her uncle came. Chloe was going to find a way to free Gabrielle.

The exit to Ethan's house was just a couple of minutes sooner than her own and in a matter of seconds they were on a dirt road with trailers and old small shacks along the way, that looked as though they had seen better days. Some of the roof shingles were missing on a few and windows were either shattered or filthy. Not the wealthiest side of town. Chloe doubted people were even living in them, but now-a-days, who knows? They turned onto a smaller dirt road that had a decent size house at the end of it. It wasn't big, but it was in much better shape than those other houses had been. There was a pile of wood stacked against the side of the house and a small fenced field on the left. _What would he need wood for? It never gets that cold._ Ethan pulled the car up to the house and turned the engine off.

"Do you want to see him now or wait a little bit?"

"Now, please" she spat, hurrying out of the car. It was hard standing up after sitting so low for awhile. Ethan led her to the storm cellar behind the house. All that could be seen was the wooden door lying almost flat to the ground. He lifted it up and switched on the light so Chloe could see the stairs leading down into it. She started to step down, but stopped a second. "If you could give me a minute, I would like to speak with him by myself."

"Oh darling, you are pushing your luck aren't you? If your uncle knew…"

"Please, I have to face my fears and I know this will work…I'll remember something this way. Trust me I majored in psychology." Chloe grinned knowing she convinced him. "I'm not afraid."

"Fine, but I will be right here if you need me."

"Okay." Chloe stumbled down seven steps until reaching the concrete flooring. She peered around the surprisingly large room full of supplies like jugs of water and flashlights and saw a man with his arms fettered to the wall beside a stack of boxes in the corner. She gasped as the man looked up at her. It wasn't Gabrielle. It wasn't Gabrielle at all; it was Preston. The young vampire, who had fought with Sebastian the night he had brought her to the house. "It's you" was all she could say.

Chloe looked him over. His eyes were tired looking with purple circles underneath and small blotches of blue covered his face. She assumed they were bruises; they appeared to be old. He was paler than anything she had ever seen, even Gabrielle. "What have they done to you?"

"Ha, like you care stupid human."

"I do care. How did this happen?" Chloe walked towards him with her hands raised to comfort him, but thought better of it as soon as he flashed his fangs at her and a small hiss came out.

"I was foolish. I attacked them on my own and I haven't had any blood in days, so I'm weak. If you would just come a little closer, I could fix that and get out of here."

If Chloe hadn't been afraid before, she was now. Her heart hammered behind her chest and she took a step back. The silk blouse, she wore to work was suddenly sticking to her body from the heat that was radiating from her. "Mmm, I can smell your fear and it smells good."

"Look, I didn't do anything to you. I haven't told anyone anything about where your hideout is. I want to help you, but I won't let you kill me."

Preston hunched over and dropped his head. "I know. Not to mention Gabrielle would kill me himself if I did anything to you."

Chloe saw the evil that was on his face before had vanished. He was probably just angry which Chloe couldn't blame him. She would have been too, chained up in a cellar, but he still made her nervous and she wouldn't unlock the chains. She didn't even have a key to do it with anyways. It would take someone strong to knock that lock off, someone with super strength like Gabrielle. An idea popped in her head, "Where is Gabrielle? If I can find him, he will come and help you escape."

Preston kept his head down and spoke into his lap. "I don't know, back at the lair I guess. I haven't been there in a few days. I thought they would have tried to find me by now, but I had been pretty upset about Jarred and they are probably letting me cool down. Yeah, cool down in a cellar with those murdering humans trying to beat information out of me every couple of hours."

Chloe held her hand to her mouth. That was the reason for the bruises all over his face, they were fresh, but couldn't heal properly from all the new ones he received from her uncle. "How terrible? I'm sorry for what my uncle and his friends have done to you."

"Yeah, I'm sure you are."

"No, really. I told them they needed to stop hunting you. They were just going to get themselves killed, but they wouldn't listen and now they have gone and kidnapped one of you."

"Well I guess I deserve it. We kidnapped you, it's only fair."

"No it isn't! This isn't right, I have to do something. I am going to try and find Gabrielle. He'll know what to do. You hold on and don't give in to them."

Preston looked shocked by her eagerness to help him. Chloe watched him nod his head at her and then return it to the base of his neck. He looked horrible and drained. She had to hurry. She thought about what she was going to say to Ethan when she came out and thought up a good plan. Real quick, she pictured Gabrielle dead on the ground in the cellar again and tears glazed over her eyes. _Good it was working,_ she attempted to cry harder and once she felt the warm tears sliding down her cheeks she ran up the steps, out of the cellar. Ethan and her uncle were waiting a few feet away near the house. She never even heard him drive up. Nick glanced at Chloe and shock sprang across his face as he started towards her, "Are you okay? You weren't supposed to see him till I got here. Did he hurt you? You didn't get too close did you?"

Chloe was glad he was asking so many questions, giving her time to think of something good to say. "I'm okay, I just…well, when I saw his face it looked familiar and I remembered a dark room with wooden floors. It scared me so I left." She continued to cry hoping her uncle would buy her story. She would pay for all the lies she had been giving him this past week. _They always came back and bit her in the butt; why was this situation any different?_

"Oh it's okay. Don't worry about it" her uncle said pulling her into a tight hug.

"Wooden floors? That could be anywhere. Were they new or old?" Ethan asked.

"Um…old I think" Chloe said over her uncle's shoulder. She pushed away from him and looked him in the eye. "Please, don't be cruel to him."

"Chloe, he is a monster and we aren't doing anything he wouldn't have done to us if it were reversed."

"Exactly, can't you be the better man and let him go."

"No! He can lead us to their hideout and we won't stop till we find out."

Chloe knew it was hopeless, but she couldn't help but try. "Will you take me home? I don't feel good."

"Yes, come on. We'll go right now." Her uncle led her to the truck and helped her inside. "Will you grab my purse from Ethan's car? Thanks." She waited patiently for him, but inside was dying to get home. As soon as she "went to bed", Chloe had a plan to escape and find Gabrielle. It wasn't guaranteed to work, but she had to try like she promised Preston she would.

It didn't take long to get back to her uncle's house; they had only been three minutes away. Chloe already had gone over everything in her head. _Wait for her uncle to leave her alone, sneak out the window, push her van down the driveway, then drive it to Wetumpka to Willy's Pub, where it all started. _That was the only place she could think to look for Gabrielle. She had already concluded it would be impossible to find his house again in the woods, so the logical place to look would be the bar Sebastian had found her in. She might even run into him, which would be just as good. Someone had to help her from their coven.

Nick followed Chloe inside and helped her to her room. "Are you sure you're alright? That probably wasn't the best idea, to let you see that vampire."

"No, I'm fine. I think it was good to know what you and the others are up to. So, I know what to expect when your dead body turns up; I'll know what happened."

Chloe watched her uncle frown and turn his head away, but she didn't care. She wanted him to know how stupid she thought they were acting. This would bring nothing, but death for them and she really didn't want to lose anymore of her family. The more she thought about it the angrier she became. "I'm sorry uncle, but I can't lose you too. These vampires are going to kill you and the others, if y'all keep on going like this."

"I know. I'm sorry too, but it's just something we have to do."

"Why? Because vampires killed Aunt Rebecca and Jason? If they were here, what do you think they would say? Watching you risk your life everyday to kill instead of moving on in peace and letting them be at rest."

"I know they aren't at rest and neither will I be until these creatures are dead! I can't expect you to understand."

"I do understand, and no they will never be at rest until you let them!"

Chloe stared at her uncle out of breath from trying to get him to see how crazy this whole thing was. He stared right back at her. He didn't seem to have anything else to say; knowing that last part Chloe said was true. "Good night uncle." She closed the door in his face and paced around the room attempting to come together at what she was about to do. She was thankful for the argument she and her uncle just had. Now Chloe was certain he wouldn't bother her for the rest of the night.

She changed into some jeans and a cute burgundy top, not wanting to look suspicious when she got to the bar. Chloe listened a minute at her door, to hear where her uncle was. He had gone to his room. _Good_, she thought. His window viewed the side yard and he wouldn't be able to see her pushing her van down the driveway from there. She shoved the window up and threw her legs over hopping onto the grass. She shut it most of the way back, before sneaking to the front of the garage. Her blue van that had barely been used since her return was facing out to the road. She had been lucky with that. Maybe she would get away after all, she thought.

Her adrenaline was pumping through her once again. This was becoming the norm for her and she wondered when her nerves were going to get a break. She gently opened the car door and shifted the clutch to neutral. It would be rather easy from here on to roll her van a good ways down the drive, before starting it up. She prayed her uncle would think it was a car on the road and not her. That was the last thing she needed was her uncle to find her running away to find vampires. Chloe laughed at herself. She needed to follow her own advice; she seemed to be doing the same thing as her uncle only trying to save vampires rather than kill them. All the same, she was putting herself in danger just as they did. She was no better than them.

The highway felt like mere seconds because of how fast she was driving. There hadn't been any cops and she floored it to the bar. She had to hurry, there was no telling what Ethan or Jake was doing to Preston now and she feared it wouldn't be long before they would just kill him since they weren't going to get any information out of him. There were a few parking spaces towards the back, far from the door. She parked her van and ran inside as fast as she could. Chloe caught her breath and decided it was best if she went to the bar top first and looked around, considering the men at the door were looking at her funny. She had to act calm.

She walked up and sat in the same seat as last time and glanced over her shoulder for Gabrielle or Sebastian, hoping they would recognize her or even smell her. She didn't see anyone familiar. The bar had lots more people this time, although it was a later hour than before. Chloe continued to look behind her, in the corners where big groups of young men with their girlfriends were hanging out, some old hairy men sat at the other end of the bar and a few of the same construction workers were talking to her left. Chloe didn't even realize the bartender had walked up to her and asked if she wanted a drink. "No thank you, I'm just looking for someone."

"Hey Chloe wow this is a surprise" the bartender smiled.

Oh, she recognized him from her last trip here, but had forgotten his name. "Hey, how are you?"

"Do you remember me? It's Steve. Do you want another Perfect Passion, it's on the house?"

Chloe thought he was sweet and if her life was less complicated, she would have loved to drink and chat with him, but unfortunately it wasn't that way. Her world had always been filled with surprises, deaths and now vampires. There was really nothing shocking she hadn't experienced. "I'm sorry. I can't right now, but thank you Steve. You are really sweet. I'm actually looking for someone. Do you remember the man that came in here to talk to me last time?"

Chloe could tell he was upset, "Yes…why is it always the jerks that get all the good ones?" he mumbled to himself. That took Chloe off guard. She had never considered herself to be a "good one" men would fight over, but Steve had obviously thought she was worth it. It was flattering, but she had to focus; this was important. "Look, it's imperative that I speak with him. Is he here tonight?"

"No, he hasn't been here all week and that is not like him. Sometimes he brings his brothers and sister, but they haven't been here either for awhile. They must have moved or something."

"Shit…okay thanks anyways."

"Something wrong?"

"In a matter of speaking, yes."

"Is there something I can do to help?" The poor guy was clinging on to hope she would be interested and she would have been in another life.

"No, you can't. I'm sorry…I need to leave. Thanks again." She hated disappointing Steve, but she had no choice. Chloe had to figure out how to get in touch with Gabrielle. She stood up and turned towards the door when she noticed a beautiful woman flirting with the men at the front doors. They seemed to be mesmerized by her beauty which was understandable. She was gorgeous with long golden hair and legs a model would kill for. And she had pale white skin and eyes black as night. A light went on inside Chloe's head as she realized what this woman was, a vampire. But she didn't look like anyone from Gabrielle's coven; there had only been one female and she had brunette hair like Chloe's.

The woman left the men pouting as she pushed the door open and walked out. _Maybe she knows who Gabrielle is and can help me find him_, she thought. She quickly followed the woman vampire outside. She was fast; already to the side of the bar and walking towards the warehouse next door. _What could be over there?_ Chloe wondered. She wanted to scream out to the woman and ask for her help, but something felt off about her. She looked dangerous, far more dangerous than Gabrielle or even Sebastian as he tried seducing her as a means to feed. She looked evil, like vampires should. Chloe waited for the woman to go inside the metal warehouse, before she snuck over to the side. The door had been left open and Chloe could hear voices inside. This was probably a very bad thing to do; surely they would hear her or smell her so close, but she was curious and her curiosity always got the best of her. A weakness she would need to work on later.

This was crazy; what was she doing? She had to find Gabrielle. Chloe heard the woman yell at a man who had been mumbling something before. "I don't care how long it takes, you are going to do it or you can kiss your family goodbye!"

That got Chloe's attention. "Those pathetic humans are not going to know what hit them. They will wish they had never been born."

"But Vanessa, how do you know this will work?"

"It will work! I know and besides we have a test subject…this drunken idiot." A man's voice hollered for help, but was muffled by what sounded like a gag in his mouth. Chloe held her breath hoping they wouldn't hear her and backed away from the warehouse. She would have to tell Gabrielle of this too as soon as she found out where he was. Whatever that woman was planning it didn't sound good and it scared Chloe the way she, this Vanessa, spoke about the humans. _God, something else for her to worry about_. Maybe her uncle wouldn't find out and would stay away from that awful woman.

Chloe reached her van and jumped in, locking her doors. She hadn't realized her hands were shaking as she started the engine and sped off hoping to get far away from that woman and the warehouse. That had been a stupid thing for her to do. _What if they had heard her?_ They would have killed her or worse she would have become a "test subject". Chloe shuddered at the thought and was glad she was back on the familiar highway. She had to refocus. Chloe still had no idea how to find Gabrielle and it was looking to be a failed mission. It was dark now and she wouldn't be able to search for him in the dark. The only thing she could do was go back home and convince her uncle to free Preston himself. Or maybe she would search the woods for their lair. She wouldn't mind getting lost out there if it were to save Preston from her uncle and his friends. She had to do something, but it would have to wait until morning. Chloe could barely function as it was. Her mind and body were completely drained from the long day and her nerves were shot, as they say.

She pulled into the driveway and cut the engine off, coasting down until she stopped in front of the garage. The truck was gone; a wasted attempt at sneaking back in. But if her uncle was gone, did he know she was too? _Oh no,_ she thought. She was going to get it when he got back. _Great, something else to look forward to._

She slammed the car door shut not caring about the noise anymore and decided to just climb back through her window anyways. It was easier. It was dark in her room; she had forgotten to leave a light on before she left. _Perfect_, she thought. She had to stand on her tip-toes to lean herself over the window seal. It had been a lot higher up than she expected, but she tried anyways letting the wood push into her stomach. "Ouch…shit!"

Chloe scratched her side on the wood and fell on her bedroom floor. "This is bullshit" she said to herself. It wasn't like her to cuss so much, but after all she had been through recently, she really could care less about that anymore. After laying there a second, she got up and felt her way across the room to her nightstand where a small lamp sat behind her radio. Chloe flicked it on and sat on the bed, laying her head in her hands. She wanted to cry she was so frustrated about this whole situation. "How am I going to find him?"

"Find who?" a man's voice whispered.

Chloe screamed and jumped from her bed, spinning around to face the voice. She was glad her uncle hadn't been there to hear that. He would have busted the door down.

Her eyes went wide and mouth hung open when she saw who it was. "Gabrielle! You're here!" she screamed and ran to the other side of the bed where he sat. Chloe jumped into his lap and wrapped her arms around him squeezing as tight as she could. He was here. He was actually here in her bedroom and she had found him. "Thank God" she breathed and began to cry on his shoulder.

oo

Gabrielle grinned in shock as Chloe ran over and jumped into his lap. He had not expected this reaction from her. As he held her warm body in his arms and smelt her lovely sweet sent, she whispered in his ear "Thank God." He had never heard that before, referring to his presence. Mostly people would pray that God would save them from him. Chloe always made him feel special and worthy, that's for sure.

As he felt her hug grow in strength, he noticed she was starting to cry. He took a breath and pushed her away. "What's wrong? Are you alright?"

It took a moment for her to stop crying long enough to explain. Her face was flushed and she looked exhausted. _What had happened to her, since he brought her back? Surely, this wasn't because she had left him? His ego wasn't that big. _And she was shaking to, afraid.

Chloe took a deep breath and tried to speak. "I have been looking for you everywhere. My uncle, he…" Her words had choked on the end. Gabrielle watched as she closed her eyes and took more deep breaths. He was nervous for her. Something was very wrong.

"They have Preston, Gabrielle. We have to save him! He's chained up in the storm cellar at Ethan's. He is weak and we have to do something."

That was not what Gabrielle had been expecting. Come to think of it, Preston had been gone days without word and it wasn't like him to not come back at least during the day. This was bad, he wouldn't hurt the humans if possible, but he had to save his brother. Sebastian was right, this was all his fault and now one of his own was in trouble. Chloe stood up, pulling him off the bed. Once again surprising him, she was willing to help save a vampire, against her uncle and all reason. Maybe they really did have a chance like Laman and Resacra had said. He could only hope, but now was not the time for that. Preston was in trouble.

"Thank you. You didn't have to help us, but you have even with your uncle against us." Gabrielle scooped his head down and kissed Chloe on the lips gently. Her lips were warm and salty from her tears. He had longed to kiss her again and the feel of her lips were nothing short of heaven. He may be damned, but she was his heaven.

"Come on, we have to hurry. I don't know how much longer he'll last. We can take my van." Chloe climbed back out the window as Gabrielle helped her this time and followed.

"No, running will be faster." Gabrielle watched Chloe's reaction and smirked as she walked up to him and turned sideways for him to pick her up. _Yeah_, their relationship definitely had hope of working out. She felt the same way about him and Gabrielle knew it. He could sense her desire and trust in him. This was going to be good, but first Preston was in danger. He grabbed Chloe and took off for the trees. He would get directions from Chloe along the way. Gabrielle pushed his speed faster than he had ever before; he would save Preston and hope nothing else happened. He would protect him and protect the woman in his arms he had grown to love and maybe that would be enough.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Chloe pulled Gabrielle down the steps to the bottom of the cellar where Preston was chained to the wall. Gabrielle could not believe the shape he was in. The bruises that had covered his skin were not healing from the lack of blood and his strength was almost as weak as a humans. Gabrielle ran to his side and pulled on the lock that clamped the chains together around his wrists. The metal groaned trying to resist the force, but Gabrielle was much stronger and the old lock finally snapped forming a smoke of rust particles through the air. The chains loosened as Preston squeezed his battered wrists from behind them and brought his hands to his lap, rubbing one with the other.

"Are you okay? Come on we have to get out of here before they catch us" Gabrielle said pulling him to his feet. As he had carried Chloe around through the yard, Gabrielle had heard the voices of men in the house as they snuck to the back. No one had seen them and Gabrielle hoped it would stay that way.

"Yeah." Preston turned to Chloe and whispered "thank you" before letting Gabrielle walk him to the steps. Gabrielle couldn't imagine what Preston had endured with these humans or what Chloe went through to save him. Though, something had happened for Preston to have a sort of trust now when he looked at Chloe.

When Gabrielle had reached the steps he heard a male voice coming from above. It was Dunn. _Damn it!_ He knew they were there. There wasn't enough time to get out and hide, he was too close.

"Chloe are you down there?" Dunn asked.

Gabrielle glanced over to Chloe's face plastered with panic. There had to be some way to get her and Preston out of here, but he saw nothing that would help. Gabrielle snatched Preston and Chloe's arm dragging them to the back of the room, where he stood in front of them watching as Dunn walked down the steps.

"Chloe!" Dunn hollered. As soon as Dunn had seen them, his gun flew up aiming directly at Gabrielle. "Let my niece go!"

Gabrielle felt her squeeze his hand in fear, but didn't move away from him. "I am not the one holding her here. She's free to leave whenever she likes" he said with a soft, sure voice.

"Chloe get away from him, he's dangerous."

Gabrielle watched Chloe shuffle from behind him. _Good, she would be safe over there._ Gabrielle knew how humans were prone to miss fire weapons sometimes under extreme circumstances and she would be safer with her uncle. It was obvious the gun wouldn't hurt Gabrielle, but it could kill Chloe and he didn't think he would be able to stop himself from avenging her if there was an accident. He felt the burning warmth of her hand leave his, but instead of walking to her uncle like he thought, she stepped in front of Gabrielle blocking the gun from its original target. _Was she insane?_ She was trying to protect him. He couldn't let her do this. Gabrielle grabbed her waist to pull her out of the way and then thought better of it. She might be able to persuade him to let us go and Gabrielle really wanted to avoid any action that involved killing her uncle. He would let her speak with him.

Even though this was her uncle, Chloe was scared out of her mind to do this. "No uncle, I won't let you kill him" she yelled holding her arms back against Gabrielle.

"What are you doing? Move, they could kill you."

"They won't uncle. I told you before, if they wanted to kill me, they would have done it already."

Chloe felt Gabrielle's hands slide onto her waist. She figured it was in case things got out of hand and he could move her out of the way. That was comforting, but if a fight between them was intended to erupt, the last thing she would feel would be comfort. Her legs were like jelly as she attempted to stand her ground.

Her uncle lowered his gun, but didn't release his finger from the trigger. "What? He's a killer, Chloe. You want to protect a killer? Get out of the way!"

"No!"

"What is wrong with you? Why are you acting like this?"

"Because I love him…" She froze in shock. The words had flown from her mouth before she thought about them, but Chloe knew they were true. Why else would she put herself in harm's way to save him? She did love him. And that seemed to be the only thing capable of getting Gabrielle and Preston out of this mess.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Nick looked confused and dropped the gun to his side. Chloe hated hurting him and she knew she was going to.

"I lied to you, Uncle Nick about everything. I remember everything that happened to me. Gabrielle took care of me and let me go. I'm sorry, uncle."

Nick didn't say anything at first. He just stared at Chloe like he had never seen her before in his life and a look of betrayal crossed his eyes. "How could you do that to me? How could you lie to your own flesh and blood?"

"I'm sorry. I did it for your protection."

"My protection? So, what was all that bullshit earlier about us risking our lives fighting vampires, when here you are running off with one?"

"I don't understand it either. All I can say is I'm sorry." Chloe could feel the chunk start to rise in her throat. She wanted to throw herself at his feet and beg for forgiveness, but she couldn't move from in front of Gabrielle and Preston. Their lives were in her hands and it was up to her to convince her uncle not to kill them.

"I don't believe this; they have you in some kind of trance, don't they?" His gun rose back up to eye level and pointed towards Gabrielle once more. Chloe knew he wouldn't miss; he was a perfect shot no matter what he hunted and Gabrielle was no different to him than an angry elk.

"No! I'm not! I am still me, uncle. They haven't done anything to me. Please, don't do this." Chloe couldn't hold back the tears she was fighting any longer. She was still so tired from everything that had happened, it was no wonder Chloe began to feel light headed and the room started to move on its own. And her side ached from hitting it earlier on the window to her room. There would probably be a bruise there by morning, if she lived that long. Her uncle was so mad at her; it would take a miracle for him not to just shoot her too.

Chloe felt Gabrielle's grip on her waist become firmer. He was helping support her weight now. She must have been more tired than she thought.

"I can't look at you the same way, Chloe" Nick exclaimed. "Vampires killed your family and this is how you honor them by falling for one of these murderers? It's unforgivable."

_He was right._ Chloe had betrayed him and there was nothing she could do to take it back. But there was no doubt in her mind, she loved Gabrielle too and to believe a possibility of having both men in her life had been foolish. There was no way to win and it seemed, despite her attempt to protect her uncle, Chloe was losing him anyways.

She bowed her head as her cries came effortlessly now. Chloe tried to ignore how dizzy she felt, but stumbled backwards into Gabrielle in a failed attempt. Everything blurred out and she felt a cold arm knock her legs from under her and she was suddenly in Gabrielle's arms. She rested her head against his chest and tried to focus her vision to look at her uncle, but it wasn't working. The only thing she knew was the soothing coolness from Gabrielle was making the pressure in her head subside a little.

"She's exhausted. Let me take her home" Gabrielle bellowed.

"You're not going anywhere with her! Put her down."

Chloe listened to their words and struggled to tell them to stop fighting, but Gabrielle was right, she was too exhausted even to speak.

Gabrielle was fed up with this man's ravings. He had already upset Chloe to the point where she couldn't even stand and now he was going to be territorial. Enough was enough. "You listen to me! Let's put this war going on between us aside for the night! I'm taking her to your house and I won't let anything harm her. Got it!"

He could tell Dunn still did not trust him. Gabrielle guessed that's to be expected after so many years of hunting his kind, but Gabrielle was not about to leave Chloe in her condition. He felt her shift in his arms and she let out a soft moan, wrapping her right arm around his neck. "It's okay, I won't let you go" he looked down whispering into her ear. She was only half conscious trying to hold on for probably both their sakes. She was strong, even for a human.

Gabrielle watched Dunn step backwards away from the steps, but held his gun against his chest. Gabrielle didn't understand. "Go, take her home." _Maybe he was beginning to see this wasn't a facade_, he thought. _Or that he was much stronger and didn't have a chance of fighting him off._

"But know this vampire; this doesn't change anything between us. It's not over" Dunn snarled.

"No, I can see it isn't, but at least we agree on one thing…" Gabrielle said glancing at Chloe in his arms. Dunn watched him exchange looks with his niece and Gabrielle could tell he didn't like how comfortable she was in his arms. He nodded for Preston to go up the stairs first and quickly followed behind him, leaving Dunn terrified for her in the cellar.

Preston held his left arm close to his side and was hunched over from sitting so long curled up. He looked even worse than before. "Go Preston. Get your strength back and return to the others. Tell them I will be back before morning, not to worry."

"But what about the humans?" he whimpered.

"I don't think they'll try anything tonight; not as long as I have her. Hurry." Gabrielle watched him duck into the trees and turned the other direction to take Chloe to her house. With him running, they were back at her window in seconds. Gabrielle climbed inside with Chloe and laid her onto the bed. He scanned her over to make sure she was fine, but noticed something was not right; he could smell her blood which was much stronger than usual. Just below where his hand had been wrapped around Chloe's waist, Gabrielle saw there was blood soaked into her shirt on her right side. The crimson red from the blood had formed a dark patch against the burgundy color of her shirt. Why didn't he notice this before? He must have been so focused on her uncle and saving Preston, he hadn't realized she had been bleeding from where she hit the window.

He should have helped her before. He had been waiting for her on the bed to return and when he saw her sneaking back through the window he thought he might scare her if he reached down to help her; so, he let her just fumble through the window. At the time, Gabrielle had found her adorable struggling so hard. It was very human. If he had known she had injured herself…

Gabrielle flew to the bathroom and dampened one towel and grabbed a dry one as well. When he got back to the room, Chloe was sitting up rubbing her head.

"What are you doing? Lay back down, you're hurt."

"What?" He watched her pull the side of her shirt up and saw the smeared blood from her wound.

"Why didn't you tell me you were cut?"

"I didn't know. I thought it had just been bruised or something. And the burgundy color shirt doesn't help either."

Gabrielle laughed. _Leave it up to her to not even know she was hurt_. He walked over to the bed and pushed her back down. "Gabrielle?"

"I'm just going to look at it and see how bad it is." She couldn't possibly still be scared Gabrielle was going to suck her blood, could she? Even after she risked her life to save him? She glanced up at him uncomfortable and nervous like as he lifted her soaked shirt off the cut. He brushed the back of his hand across her forehead and smiled, "It's okay. Remember, blood is as tempting to me as a pizza would be to you. I won't hurt you."

Chloe rolled her eyes and dropped her head back on the mattress. "I am not afraid you will eat me, Gabrielle."

"Then, what's the matter?" he asked wiping the blood from her skin with the wet towel. She hadn't lost much, but it was enough to be the reason she had felt faint before. After he cleaned it off, he laid the dry towel on top, putting enough pressure to stop the bleeding, which wasn't that much anymore. Chloe lifted her head to see the wound. "It's fine. You don't even need stitches" he smiled pushing her back down. "Just relax."

_Relax?_ How could she relax? Her uncle hated her and would probably never speak to her again, there was no way after tonight he would let her ever see Gabrielle again, they would lock her up in a cell somewhere and the both of them were most likely going to kill each other. This whole thing was a disaster and Gabrielle was smiling, taking care of her as if everything was hunky dory.

"What are we going to do?"

"You're going to hold this towel and keep pressure there while I go get a first-aid kit" he smirked placing her hand to the towel and standing up.

"No, I mean about my uncle. He's going to kill you or you're going to kill him and I can't lose either one of you!"

"Calm down, no one is going to be killed. Now, you're going to start bleeding again if you don't sit still."

"How do you know that?" Chloe asked trying not to start crying again.

"Because I have read a medical book" Gabrielle laughed.

"Stop joking around; you know what I mean."

Gabrielle sat back down next to her and leaned over to kiss her cheek. "Because, I wouldn't hurt you like that and after tonight I don't think your uncle will be able to either" he whispered, his cold breath tickling her ear. "So, stop worrying and let me help you." Chloe watched him leave her room and return with a first-aid kit before she could count to three. Even when he carried her, she couldn't believe how fast he moved.

After he patched Chloe up nice and tight with gauze and tape, he tried to take her bloody shirt off, but she pushed his hands away. "What are you doing?" Chloe was nervous again, but it was only because she didn't want him to see her flaws.

It took a second for Gabrielle to understand. "Why are you being shy now? I've see you before. Now, let me get this bloody shirt off."

"You haven't seen that much of me." It wasn't like she thought he was trying to take advantage of the situation or anything; it was just Chloe didn't particularly like putting herself out there on the cutting board for everyone to see.

"What do I have to do to make you see how beautiful you are?" Gabrielle leaned down and kissed one side of her chin and then moved to the other. His cold lips had Chloe bewilder.

"Um…convince me?" Her breath heightened as he moved his lips across to the front and down her throat.

"What else?" he said beating his breath against her skin. Chloe was having trouble thinking straight; one minute he was cleaning her cut and then the next had her fighting to keep calm from his close proximity.

She swallowed hard, "Persuasion maybe?" he continued down the v-neck line of her shirt, pausing at her collar bone.

"Anything else?"

Chloe couldn't move; she was stiff like a trapped fly in a spider's web, but she didn't care. She had been day dreaming for so long it felt, for him to kiss and touch her like this again; she never wanted it to end. "You could show me."

Gabrielle's eyes glazed over with a silver mist, just like before at his place when they had kissed. Chloe gasped as he returned his lips to her skin and two icy hands slid up her shirt collecting the material as they did. Chill bumps rose wherever they touched and Gabrielle pulled the shirt over her head tossing it with the bloody towels on the floor. Chloe just imagine all the imperfections he must be seeing, making her glower before him. She was, however, still wearing her blue lace bra hiding her _biggest_ imperfections of all; biggest being the operative word. She just couldn't stand the size of her breasts. _They were too much for anyone to handle_, she thought.

"What are you thinking?" Gabrielle smiled searching her face for something Chloe couldn't figure out. _All he was going to find was embarrassment_, she thought.

"I was thinking…about…no I can't say."

"Why not? You can tell me anything. I want to know what you're thinking."

"Fine, I was thinking you aren't going to like what you see" she shook her head.

"I doubt that." Chloe's breath hitched when she felt his hands unlatching the hooks of her bra in the back. _No! Why did he have to do that? She should have just kept her mouth shut._ She pinched her eyes together as he pealed the blue lace from her chest.

Gabrielle rubbed the back of his hand the length of her cheek and down her arm, grazing the side of her breast. Chloe opened her eyes to see if she had been right; he smiled at her. "See, beautiful."

He was too convincing. "You're a good liar" she whispered pressing her hand to the side of his face. Gabrielle held it there with his own hand, "And you're a terrible listener. And did I mention stubborn?"

Chloe followed the shape of his upper lip with her middle finger, gliding it over each curve and then around the bottom. They were soft and chilly like running your finger over a pile of powdered snow. _He was the one who was beautiful,_ she thought. Her mouth yearned to be on his as she felt this pull in the core of her chest, making her want to touch him more and kiss him. It was nothing she had ever experienced before, for anyone. She wanted him. Chloe pulled him by the neck connecting their lips together with a jolt of pleasure. She'd forgotten what he tasted like, ice cream…no honeysuckle? She couldn't figure it out, but that was the least of it. He was here with her again and for the first time since she'd found him in her room, she was able to enjoy that.

And she did, as they kissed his hands wondered over her flesh, caressing and squeezing every inch. She moaned into the kiss when he rested his hand over one of her breasts, toying with the nub that was hardening as he did. Gabrielle lifted his head and smirked making her blush, before dropping his mouth to suckle the nipple he'd been teasing. Chloe's heart was pounding in excitement and desire building as she arched her back and moaned from the burning trail Gabrielle had made crossing to her other breast, giving it the same amount of attention. A searing pain shot through her side under the bandage, but she ignored it. The coolness from Gabrielle's body close to her side kept the throbbing tamed. She held the back of his head tugging him to come back up and kiss her again, which made him chuckle from the silent demand.

Gabrielle hovered over her and nudged her legs apart with his knee so he could lie on top without putting too much weight on her or disturbing her wound and moved his lips back to hers. Chloe was taken by surprise when through their jeans his groin brushed against hers sending a wave of pleasure and excitement over her and she groaned, clasping his back pulling him closer to her. His tongue had her going crazy while she pressed her chest as close as she could to his. She never felt like she could get close enough to him.

When her breasts rubbed against the soft fabric of his gray shirt, Chloe ran her hands down his back reaching for the seam. She wanted to know what it felt like without clothes in the way. She wanted to feel her skin against his and no barriers keeping them apart, which stunned her. Chloe never had been one to move fast in a relationship, but this had definitely not been a normal relationship. She felt like she'd known Gabrielle years and was eager to be with him in every form. And from how he was kissing her, she couldn't see an end in sight, until he grabbed one of her hands from behind his back and then the other, pressing them into the purple comforter beside her head. _Wait, she wasn't allowed to stop him taking off her clothes, but he could refuse her?_

Chloe pulled away from him gasping for air as he continued kissing and nibbling back down her neck. "Why won't you let me take your shirt off? You got to take mine off" she stated a little annoyed.

Gabrielle paused a second before kissing her once more on the lips and then rolled off her. "Where are you going? Please don't leave." All hope of being with him tonight vanished as he walked to her dresser and pulled a t-shirt out and some shorts from her pajama drawer. Chloe's face burned a cherry red as she covered her chest with her arms. Reality sunk in; he was rejecting her. _She wasn't pretty enough for him after all._ As he walked over to the bed tossing the pajamas beside her, he pressed his knuckles into the comforter leaning over her.

"Don't you for one second think that I don't want you. If we had the time, I would make love to you all night" Chloe swallowed her embarrassment and shivered with desire at the mere thought of that. "But your uncle will be walking through the door in two minutes. I don't think we should let him find me here, tonight. That might not be wise." Chloe had forgotten all about her uncle. It was easy getting wrapped up in the presence of Gabrielle. Despite all her self loathing thoughts, he had been able to side track Chloe into to thinking she was everything he said she was, every time he even looked at her.

Chloe sat up slipping the t-shirt over her head and twisted her body to the side of the bed. Gabrielle stood in front of her as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "I wish you didn't have to leave." Chloe felt his hands press to her back and head while he kissed her hair. "Will I see you tomorrow?"

"If you'd like. Actually we have some issues to discuss before I let this go any further; I'll explain later. Now, I have to leave so the others won't come here, looking to avenge my death."

Chloe peered up into his eyes that had returned to their shiny black state. "Issues?" she asked.

"Tomorrow. Right now you need to get some sleep." Chloe had forgotten how drained she was―another ability he had over her, to forget anything but him― and she knew if he didn't return to the coven before sunrise, all hell would break loose for sure. "You promise you'll come back."

Gabrielle laughed and kissed her one last time, "I don't really have a choice." Before she could question what he meant by that, he was out her window. She walked over to it and looked around into the darkness, but he had already gone. Nothing but the rustling of leaves could be heard far against the back side of the field. _He better come back, _she thought. There was no doubt in her mind now, she loved him and wouldn't stand to be away from him anymore. Not to mention, she might need protection from her own family.

The front door creaked open and then slammed shut, rattling the walls. _Her uncle. He must still be furious. _She listened as he marched down the hall towards her bedroom. This time he didn't take the time to knock. He swung the door open, ruffling one of the college shakers lying on the corner of her dresser near the door.

"Uncle Nick?" Chloe wanted to say more, to comfort him, but she knew now wouldn't be the best time.

He skimmed the room and saw it was just Chloe and even seemed surprised to see her there. "The bloodsucker kept his word" he more mumbled to himself. "I have to work tomorrow. So, I hope I see you when I get home." He started to shut the door, but Chloe stopped him. She was taken back, "What? You aren't going to take me to work in the morning?"

"No. I see no reason to protect someone who's gonna throw themselves in the devil's playground every time I turn around."

"Oh." Chloe nodded and looked down studying the beige carpet in her room. It seemed more comforting and safer to look at than her uncle right now.

"I still love you, Chloe. You're family; all I have…but I won't stand by and watch you feed yourself to those creatures!" he hollered and slammed her door, startling her. _Great_. Chloe and her uncle had always been so close, especially after the death of her parents. They had understood one another, but now it would take more than a miracle to have that again with him. She had lost that trust and understanding and Chloe refused to accept the consequences for something she couldn't help. She was going to do everything in her power to gain back what was lost between her and her uncle.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

_Beep, beep, beep_. Chloe turned onto her side trying to be gentle to keep from hurting her cut and glanced at the alarm clock. It was 7am; time for work. _Oh Lord_, she thought. She didn't think she would be able to make it through the day with all those children after the night she had and not to mention it took her forever to fall asleep from thinking about seeing Gabrielle again. Her eyes felt heavy and burned as she searched the top of her clock for the right button to turn the annoying beeping sound off. Chloe sat up with a rush of vertigo bombarding her and she knew there was no way she would be able to work in her state. She would have to call in sick. Chloe hated to do that after only have worked a couple days at her new job, but she had no choice.

Chloe picked up the phone and dialed her boss's number. _Hopefully he would already be there; that was normal for him. _It rang three times before she heard Mr. Stanley's voice on the other end.

"Trenton's Youth Development Facility, can I help you?"

"Mr. Stanley? It's Chloe."

"Hey, and what can I do for you this morning?"

Chloe played with the cord, nervous of what he would say. "Um I hate to do this to you and since I haven't been there for very long, but I just can't make it in today. I am really sick and I don't want to expose this to the kids." That last part had been a lie and Chloe hated to after all the lying she had done before, but it was the only way to make Mr. Stanley understand how bad she felt.

"That's alright Chloe; I'll get Terri to take over your kids. I was kind of expecting this call. You didn't really look like yourself yesterday. It was like you were having trouble focusing."

_Oh_. Chloe hadn't realized she had been that spacey in front of him, but she guess it had been a good thing after all. "I'm sorry Mr. Stanley."

"Don't worry about it. Just take the rest of the week off and claim your sick days when you get back. You have fifteen to use before the end of the year or you'll lose them; so you might as well use some now."

"Wow, thanks Mr. Stanley. I know I will be better by next week."

"See you then" he chirped into the phone.

"Bye." Chloe could not get over how lucky she was to have a boss as nice as Mr. Stanley. Not everyone could call in sick for one day and get the rest of the week off too. It was astonishing and Chloe was going to need the time to get herself back together. And it would be a good time to talk with Gabrielle and her uncle as well, sort through this mess. Chloe wondered when Gabrielle was going to show up. He seemed to pop in whenever he wanted, which honestly Chloe didn't mind.

She glanced around the room. There was no way she would be able to fall back asleep now; she was wide awake despite her eyes still burning. Chloe ran her fingers through her hair trying to get the knots out and then pulled her shirt up to check her wound. The bandage was stained with dark blood; it was dry from last night. _Good, maybe it has stopped bleeding, _she thought. Chloe felt disgusting and wanted a shower before Gabrielle appeared. She needed to clean her cut anyways and put a fresh bandage on it.

She remembered to grab some clothes this time and dragged herself to the bathroom. The curtain was wet; her uncle must have already been in it this morning before leaving for work. That was comforting; she had the house to herself. She started up the shower hoping there was enough hot water left. She was going to need it.

oo

Gabrielle rummaged through his closet for a simple black shirt and jeans. His room was small with just a leather couch matching the living room and some personal items he'd collected over the years like his father's hutch and paintings from the nineteenth century, a few Angelica Kauffman's not even the humans were aware existed; things he considered valuable. Even though Gabrielle was the leader of the coven―and he hated thinking of himself as that―he had given Laman and Resacra the master bedroom to have more space. After all, they were the ones needing space for an actual bed. Vampires didn't sleep, but when you have a mate, a bed is necessary.

Gabrielle wondered―if Chloe chose to be with him―where they would spend their nights. His room was certainly too small and if they wanted to make love, the couch would not be big enough. The guest room Chloe had stayed in before would probably suit them well. Although the way Gabrielle was feeling, he really didn't care where he made love to her, as long as they were together. He felt the inevitable urge to see Chloe again. A growing need to be with her and not just physically; it was a gravitational pull like the planets to the sun. Chloe was his star, the center of his universe. She was drawing him in and Gabrielle knew once he reached her it would be greater than the Big Bang.

Once Gabrielle arrived home the previous night, he went straight to Laman. Chloe's uncle had not been the only reason he had stopped her from taking off his shirt. Gabrielle could sense the pheromones radiating from her and when their lower bodies had grazed one another, he felt the pleasure coursing through him and realized Chloe had felt the same thing. He wasn't even inside her and the pleasure had been more than he had ever experienced before. Gabrielle knew this was going to be different because she was his mate and he didn't want to overwhelm her. After speaking with Laman, Gabrielle found out just how intense this was going to be.

"Any other women you have ever been with will be nothing compared to what it's like with your vampire mate. There is a connection there, beyond our comprehension. It is like a sharing of pleasure; whatever she feels so shall you and vice versa" Laman explained. "It might even be wise to wait till she has been turned. Humans sometimes can be too weak to handle the sensations."

Gabrielle was glad he had stopped when he did; otherwise he wasn't sure he would have been able to resist her and wouldn't have known what to expect. Now, if they ever were to be together, he would be mentally prepared, to stop it even if he must. But Gabrielle wouldn't worry about that now. There were some things he needed Chloe to consider and today he planned on giving her the options he knew he might be able to live with. Gabrielle was down the stairs in a split second and saw Resacra lounging in the living room.

"Going to see Chloe?" she asked.

"Yes."

"What about the hunters?"

"I'm working on that, but I need to see her."

"I understand, just be careful. We don't want to lose you Gabrielle" she said, her forehead creasing in worry.

"I will" he smiled as he grabbed a hoodie from the coat closet by the door. If he kept the hood over his head, it would shield his eyes from the sun and staying in the shadows of the trees would help as well. He ran out the door and flew into the trees before the sun could even catch him. The animals around him scurried under leaves and plants, hiding as he raced past them. He could hear their tiny hearts thudding fast like humming bird wings; they could sense a predator was near and they were right to hide. He was a dangerous predator, just like Dunn had said. As Gabrielle felt the wind beat against his cold skin, he imagined Chloe as an immortal. He had been so consumed with a selfish need to have her with him; he didn't even stop to think of what she would be sacrificing to become like him. What she would give up; her uncle, her future, her life. He was going to ask her to give up her life for him. _How selfish was that?_ _But they were meant to be together; this was destiny right? _Gabrielle had killed many humans before; so why did this feel like it would be impossible to do? It was true, when Gabrielle had been turned he never had a choice in the matter, but he was going to give Chloe that choice. This was all he could offer her, a choice.

As he approached the yellow house, there was just no getting around it; if Chloe agreed Gabrielle would give in. He knew it was beyond his control not too. He needed her. Gabrielle saw Dunn's truck was missing from the driveway and walked at a human pace to Chloe's front door just in case someone passing by noticed him. He didn't need any humans witnessing something unusual here and go report it to Dunn himself. In small towns it was difficult to keep anything private, but luckily in Good Hope everyone was spread out a bit and it took longer for the human's word of mouth to travel.

He knocked on the door and listened to hear if Chloe was awake yet. This time Gabrielle wanted to respect her space and not barge in uninvited like last time, but it seems he would have to do that again anyways. He heard the shower running from the back of the house and smirked. _She was always taking showers; she must be self conscious when it comes to her personal hygiene_. It didn't matter to Gabrielle, she always smelt sweet to him.

Gabrielle twisted the knob and was surprised to find it unlocked. He figured Dunn would have hidden dead bolts and chains on the other side, but Gabrielle walked in to the tiny living room and sat down on the couch. He pulled his hoodie off and laid it over the arm. He would wait for her to finish her shower, hopefully not scaring her half to death like last time in her room. Gabrielle didn't like hearing her scream on his account, even if she ran into his arms afterwards; he didn't like frightening her.

He listened to the water shut off and drip against the plastic tub as the curtain scraped across the metal rod. Visions of her naked assaulted his mind once again and the urge to barge into the bathroom overwhelmed him. He recalled last night when she allowed him to explore parts of her radiant body and it took all Gabrielle had not to jump off the couch to get her. _This was going to be a lot harder than he thought_. Instead Gabrielle closed his eyes and focused on the things he was going to say to her. He tried to ignore the sounds coming from the bathroom, but his hearing was very sensitive. Sounds of her drying her hair and the rasp of tape echoed down the hall. Gabrielle turned his body and propped his feet up on the couch as he covered his face with his arms. He wouldn't move if he could help it; he just had to focus.

It was only a few minutes later when the bathroom door finally opened. Gabrielle sat back up and watched the hallway opening as he heard Chloe's soft footsteps on the carpet coming towards him. When she appeared around the corner, Gabrielle froze at the sight of her. Her beauty always captivated him. She was wearing a brown cotton skirt stopping well above her knees and a baby blue tank top adhering to the curves of her hourglass figure. Even in everyday casual clothing, she was breathtaking to Gabrielle.

oo

Chloe's heart skipped a beat when she saw Gabrielle relaxing on the couch. She had thought she heard the front door and wasn't too surprised to find him there. When she caught sight of the contrast between Gabrielle's pale white skin and black t-shirt that hinted at his muscles, Chloe couldn't breathe. _He was gorgeous; there was no doubt about that_. She wondered how it was even possible she gained the attention of this beautiful man.

"Come sit down" Gabrielle said grinning when she didn't hesitate. Her leg brushed against the side of his sending cold electric hums to her skin. _Whoa_, she didn't expect that. Gabrielle held his breath and scooted a few inches away making space between them. The humming on her skin stopped immediately.

"So, how is your injury?" he asked.

"It's fine. I just put a fresh bandage on it."

"Good…um." Chloe could tell he had something he wanted to say, but he was having trouble starting. He did say there were things he had to talk to her about and they must be important.

"You said there were issues to discuss today. What are they?"

Gabrielle bowed his head and rubbed his eyes. Chloe had never seen him struggle for words before; it was like he would have preferred to avoid whatever he was thinking entirely. "You can tell me" she encouraged.

Gabrielle looked up at her. "It's just hard; I don't know how you will react."

Chloe grimaced. _It must be bad,_ she thought. "Just try."

"Okay…Chloe do know the reason why you have urges to be with me?"

"Is it because of some vampire ability to seduce your prey?"

"Not exactly. We do have that, but that only works on humans for the short time we are around them and whenever we leave so does that feeling. You are different. The feeling or urge to be near me never leaves you, right?"

Chloe pondered what he meant. _If it wasn't some mystical vampire ability, then what was this? Why did she yearn to be near him night and day? Was she in a trance like her uncle had thought? _"Why is that?"

Chloe watched as he licked his lips and began to explain. "Well, it's like when a person searches their whole life for that one significant other that understands everything about them and sort of connects on a deeper level with them…"

"Like a soul mate?" Chloe let out a sigh of relief. If Gabrielle was saying she was his soul mate, well that wouldn't be hard to believe. She did feel connected to him and wondered what the problem with that was, other than the fact that he was a vampire and she wasn't.

"Kind of, only we call it a vampire mate."

"Oh." _That made sense to call it that_, she thought.

"Chloe, it's much more powerful than just a soul mate. I never thought in my two hundred and sixty seven years that mine would be a human, but apparently it is more common than I thought."

"You're two hundred and sixty seven years old?" Chloe had no idea he had been around that long. She had pictured him in his nineties once before at work, but no more than a hundred.

"That's not important. You have to understand…"

"Alright, alright…what's so wrong with being your vampire mate?" She just couldn't understand why this was so troublesome for him. _Did he not love her as much as she loved him?_

"Well for one, when we are together there will be intense feelings and sensations that are greater than anything I've experienced and I don't know if it's something that you're strong enough for" he said trying to be serious.

"Is that one of the reasons you left last night?"

"Yes, I didn't want to overwhelm you."

"Why is this bothering you so much, Gabrielle? Is being your mate a bad thing? I don't understand." Chloe was beginning to worry. She sensed he was distancing himself from her on purpose and she feared he was going to leave.

"It's a bad thing for you. Chloe, I don't want to do this, but I can't stay and watch you grow old and die. If you are to be my vampire mate, I have to ask you to become an immortal. One lifetime with you isn't enough."

Chloe glared into his thick black eyes that looked as though they were in agony. _What was he asking her? To become a vampire herself?_ She had been right before, it was the problem he was a vampire and she was just a mortal. _A naïve, stupid mortal_! It should have been obvious; only a creature as strong and gorgeous as he would need to be with someone that equaled those characteristics, but was she that to him? Surely not, how could she be destined to be with Gabrielle, a godlike being. "You want me to be a…vampire?"

Gabrielle groaned under his breath and grabbed one of Chloe's hands. "It would mean giving up your human life, your uncle, everything you have come to know. Now, do you see why I didn't really want to tell you? It is the most selfish and horrible thing I could ever ask of you, but I won't be able to bear it when your mortal life ends. Finding a vampire mate only happens once and on rarity twice, but I wouldn't want anyone else but you Chloe. Only, I won't make you give up everything for me. This decision is yours and you don't have to make up your mind now. If you need to wait a few years, I'm willing to agree to that, but only if I can turn you after."

_Wow, this was a lot to take in_, Chloe thought. If she wanted to be with Gabrielle, she would have to let him take her life. Sure, she would still be alive, but everything would change. She would no longer be able to enjoy the sunlight, there was no way she would be able to work with the children at Trenton's anymore and the scariest part was, she would have to drink blood like Gabrielle; become a killer. She cringed at the thought of a dead body in her arms; how would she be able to live with herself after that and then repeating it over and over again. Not only would she have to leave her uncle, but after killing all those people he would probably hunt her down too. Staying in Good Hope would be out of the question. Gabrielle was right; she would never see her uncle again.

Chloe wanted to think about something else before she worked herself into another panic attack. She focused her thoughts on the cold sensations of Gabrielle's hand on hers. That was the one thing making this a hard decision, Gabrielle. If she were to change into a vampire, she would have Gabrielle to share eternity with, but did she want to live forever? Forever seemed like a dream, an unrealistic drawn out dream. But with Gabrielle there, eternity would never be long enough. _How was she ever going to decide?_ The urge, as Gabrielle had said, to be with him was so strong; Chloe didn't know if she would be able to resist it. She knew eventually she would give in, but she didn't want to leave her uncle. _Ugh!_ She was going to need those few years to decide. She wanted to cry, but she couldn't in front of Gabrielle. It would upset him to see her like that; perhaps tonight, when she would have time to herself. Chloe squeezed his hand and leaned over onto his shoulder.

"I'm sorry I had to ask this of you" he whispered wrapping his left arm around her, clasping her head onto his chest. She listened for a heartbeat, but only heard the useless breaths Gabrielle was taking, probably out of habit. She loved her uncle so much, but if she were being true to herself, it would only be a matter of time before her heart stopped as well. Chloe pondered what it would be like when Gabrielle would change her. _Was it painful?_

Chloe didn't move from his chest, but whispered into the black material of his shirt, "Is it going to hurt when you turn me?"

Gabrielle wrapped his other arm around her pulling her tight into his chest and held her like that for what felt like twenty minutes before he answered her. "It hurts at first, but after the venom takes effect you won't feel anything."

"The venom? What does it do to you?"

"That's what changes you. You lose all your senses eventually and you will go into this blackness for a few days. It will feel like you're alone in a deep dark nothingness and seem as though death has already taken you, but then afterwards your senses return. Everything sort of shuts down for awhile but when those senses come back they're doubled. I would be with you the whole time and even though you won't feel it, I won't let you go. You won't have to go through this alone like I did."

_Well at least pain wouldn't be involved_, she thought. _But he had to go through it by himself? What had happened? _The more Chloe thought about it, the more she realized she really didn't know anything about him, or at least about his past. However, she would have an eternity to find out. _But for him to have changed alone, what kind of a vampire would do that to someone and vanish?_ "Gabrielle? Can I ask how you became a vampire?"

He let his arms slide from around her and pushed her up to look in her eyes. "I guess it would be fair to tell you this story. It was 1741 in New York City. I had spent most of my nights in Hughson's tavern, relaxing after working all day. And I met a mysterious man there named Anthony Baluster. I had noticed him only because he had been continually staring at me the whole night. At the time I had no idea, but now I realized it was because he had chosen me to feed on. I had no family alive, no wife or children; I was the perfect victim. I could disappear and no one would have known; that's why he chose me. Baluster had waited for me to leave and being the weak human that I was, it had been too easy for him to get ahead and cut me off in a dark alley." Chloe cringed at the thought of the vampire attacking him. It reminded her of yesterday when she had pictured his dead body in Ethan's cellar.

"During that time, there was a huge slave rebellion and the people involved had a tendency to set buildings on fire around the city to protest against the colonial authorities; we hadn't established a government yet back then. Well, that particular night, one building had caught fire one street over from the alley he'd trapped me in. And I guess that had been the reason he never finished me off. The fire was too close and I'm sure he figured it would burn me too, but I survived."

Chloe just stared at him mesmerized by his story. She couldn't fathom what it had been like living in that time period or being attacked and left for dead; it was beyond her understanding. At least that would never happen to her; Gabrielle would never leave her. "What happened to the vampire?"

"I don't know. I never saw him again after that. He supposedly lived in London for awhile and Sebastian and I have searched several times, but no one has ever heard of that name. But vampires are hard to find, considering we spend every moment trying to remain in the shadows, nonexistent to the human world or even the vampire world."

Chloe nodded her head understanding and grabbed his right hand holding it against her chest. "Gabrielle, let me just say this, I want to be with you, but I don't know if I can leave my uncle…"

Gabrielle placed his free hand over her mouth preventing her to speak. "I told you I don't want an answer right now. You will need time to think this through, but I must warn you it is going to be difficult for me to stay away from you and I don't want that to affect your decision."

"I don't want you to stay away from me" Chloe confessed. "And it won't affect my decision to be with you." Chloe wasn't a hundred percent sure, but she knew what her decision was leaning towards, the man sitting next to her. It was starting to seem like she had been meant for this clandestine world; everyone in her family had already died except for her uncle who happened to be a vampire hunter. Therefore, it was only a matter of time before she would encounter one of these creatures of the night. And it didn't seem happenstance that she was to be Gabrielle's mate either. It was too flawless.

oo

Gabrielle smiled at her words and returned her to his snug embrace. He no more deserved her as a mate than her uncle did as a niece. This woman was amazing and Gabrielle wished he could spend every moment with her, but there was still the issue of dealing with her uncle. He might be able to steal her away once in awhile, but return her before Dunn noticed. And he might be able to sneak in and stay the night with her as well, but leave as soon as Dunn woke. This was going to be difficult, but Gabrielle had no choice. He had to be with her; the force of a vampire mate was too strong to ignore.

Gabrielle felt Chloe's warm body loosen under his hold. She was falling asleep. _She must still be tired from last night;_ he didn't blame her. In fact, he was jealous. He turned her carefully and placed one of the small pillows from the couch behind her head on his lap and covered her up with his hoodie. _She would definitely get cold lying near him,_ he thought. And for the next few hours, Gabrielle watched her sleep. He studied the curves on her face, her full pouting lips that made him want to kiss them, her eyes that were pointed like a cat's and mysterious, her small nose that nestled perfectly in the middle. Everything about her was beautiful to him and he could have sat there for days staring down at her.

He lifted his hand and brushed it over her smooth skin. It felt like he was rubbing it against a soft hot plate, but he didn't care. Her heat didn't hurt him; it only urged him to touch her more. Chloe moaned in her sleep while turning to her side and Gabrielle let his fingers run through her baby soft hair that smelt of nectarine. It was nice. _Yes_, there was no way he would be able to stay away from her from now on. Uncle or no uncle, he was bounded to her and she to him.


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

"Hey, wake up" a man's voice said shaking Chloe's arm. She lifted her head searching the room―which ever room that may be, she didn't know―her vision was groggy and saw only a male form standing over her. Her hands fumbled uselessly for Gabrielle, but he was gone and the couch was warm again. No traces of him anywhere; not even his jacket that had been draped over her was left. Unsure of who was with her, she sat up suddenly fear getting the best of her.

"Wait, wait…it's me, Nick. Calm down."

_Shit!_ "Uncle Nick, you scared the crap out of me!" Chloe's eyes began to focus as she clasped her hand over her chest, out of breath. She was still in the living room and the light was starting to fade through the windows. The conversation she and Gabrielle had this morning was slowly seeping back to her. All the considerations he left her with must have been so overwhelming she fell back asleep. Chloe wasn't surprised. "What time is it?" she asked glancing up at her uncle. His bloodshot eyes were full of rage and fret as he stared down at her. "What's the matter?"

"What have they done to you? And don't lie!" he yelled pointing to her side. Chloe looked down and saw her tank top had scrunched up some revealing the bottom portion of her bandage. _Oh no_. Chloe pulled her shirt back down and stood with her hands in front to explain.

"It's not what you think. I was climbing through my window yesterday and cut myself on…"

"I don't believe you!" he hollered, grabbing her arms and yanking Chloe towards him. "Tell me! Did those vampires do this to you? I told you they were dangerous, but do you listen…"

"Uncle Nick, stop it! You're hurting me!" From how close he was holding her, she could smell the booze on his breath. He had been drinking and heavily, which wasn't like him at all. Ever since she moved in with her uncle before college, Chloe had never seen him drink more than one glass of bourbon at a time. Had she been the cause for him to drink this much now?She didn't know, but this was not like him, to be rough. "Let go!"

Her uncle released her arms and fumed around the room, pacing in front of the couch. "Listen to me. It was an accident that I did to myself, now stop this. How much have you had to drink?"

He stopped his pacing and examined Chloe a moment, "That's none of your business" he batted and stormed towards the kitchen. The cabinet door flew open banging into the side of the refrigerator and slammed back shut making the dishes inside clank against each other. The faucet water spewed out as Nick filled the glass in his hand half way and gulped it down in one swig. Panting over the sink, Nick replenished his glass with more water and took another sip as he turned to face Chloe. "They're going to kill you eventually you know" he said holding the glass against his forehead with his eyes shut.

Regarding his state, Chloe thought through her words carefully before speaking. She knew he was right; they would kill her eventually, but only if she asked them to. Only, if she gave into Gabrielle and agreed to become his vampire mate for eternity. "I love you, but there is nothing bad…"

"Chloe, I want you to stay away from them" he interrupted. "I mean it. If I catch one of those bloodsuckers here, there will be bloodshed. Have I made myself clear?" The silence hovered in the kitchen like a thick fog with nothing but the hum of the refrigerator as he waited for an answer. Butterflies in her stomach rose to play havoc with her heart. Did he know Gabrielle had been here earlier? Why would he say that unless he knew a vampire had been in his house?

"Yes sir." For the sake of her uncle's sanity, Chloe gave him the answer he wanted to hear. Although she knew it was just another lie. There was no way she would be able to stay away from Gabrielle and she would just have to keep Nick unaware of his visits. And not to mention warn Gabrielle of her uncle's intentions if he found him here.

"Good…I'm going to Ethan's tonight and I _will_ be back soon" he pointed out and set his glass in the sink.

Chloe rushed to his side, her temper rising. "You can't drive in your condition! You've had too much to drink!"

"I won't be driving, Chloe. Ethan is waiting in the car for me."

"And how much has he had tonight?" she asked folding her arms across her chest.

Nick placed his hands on either side of Chloe's face and kissed her forehead. "Please do as I ask. I don't want to come home to an empty house…or worse. And don't worry about us, we can handle ourselves." He dropped his hands and walked to the front door, holding his fingers around the knob. Nick looked back and smiled, "I love you Chloe."

"I love you too" she whispered and watched him leave. After he was gone, Chloe shuffled back to the living room, plopping down on the couch. She felt horrible like a hurricane was brewing inside her and there was nothing she could do. Her mind was split between wanting to protect her uncle and wanting to be with Gabrielle as though two hands were pulling her from either side. She didn't know how long her skin would last before it ripped right down the middle. How long would that take?_ Not long_, she figured.

The more she pondered over it, the more she regretted having the week off from work after all. It would have been helpful to get away from everything and clear her mind. Oh well, no use in worrying about it now. She did, however, wonder what happened to Gabrielle. _Had he gone back to the lair or was he waiting outside somewhere for Nick to leave?_ Despite everything racing around in her head and her uncle's warnings, she still wanted Gabrielle to come back.

Chloe looked at the brass clock by the television and saw it read 5:32pm. Her nights and days were definitely going to be backwards now that she had slept most of the day. She wouldn't be tired for awhile. So, Chloe got up and went to her bedroom hoping to change into something less frumpy in case Gabrielle showed up again, which was looking to be a good possibility seeing how he felt the same about her.

The bedroom door clicked behind her as she slipped out of her brown skirt and tossed it on the bed. Her goal was to find one of her better pairs of jeans. Ones that made her butt look as cute as possible, which was hard to do. They were jeans she rarely wore considering they were somewhat snugger around the waist and weren't as comfy as her other ones. She never did like making herself uncomfortable for fashion, but the urge to dress up for Gabrielle like a girly teenager going to see her first boyfriend had her plunging around for her better outfits.

She still had on her blue tank top and a pair of dark pink panties as she sorted through one of her bottom drawers of her dresser. Chloe wondered if it would be better to put on some of her black lingerie her girlfriends in college had given her as a gag gift for her twenty-second birthday. _Eh…_ No she couldn't do that; even if she had the body for it, there was no way. She would be way too embarrassed. She would stick with her plain cotton underwear and forget about it until the time came to worry. Wait, what was she thinking? It's not like they were going have sex tonight or anything. Even though they had come close a couple of times before, or Chloe had been under the impression they had, what made her think tonight was going to be different. She was losing her mind that was the problem.

Chloe finally found her good jeans under an old tattered purple sweater in the back. She pulled them out and prayed they would still fit. Nothing would be worse than to find out she had gain more weight over the past six months since she last wore them. Shutting her eyes, she put one leg in and then the other pulling them up. To her surprise she didn't even have to yank or tug or anything; they slid up with ease and buttoned directly. Wow, she must have lost a little since she had worn these; they weren't that tight anymore at all and yet still clung to her form. _Thank goodness. _Chloe smirked to herself and opened her closet to find a cute top to go with them. She glanced around and found a black one she use to wear out to dance clubs with her friends. _Hmm, black was always slimming right?_ She changed shirts and came out into the light of her bedroom. The top's neckline dipped down lower than she had remembered and her cleavage looked like it was threatening to come out and play on its own. Maybe she should find something less revealing. This was a bit much.

"You going somewhere tonight?" she heard a deep voice say by the window.

Chloe looked up expecting to see a beautiful, pale man in her room and was ecstatic when she did. It was Gabrielle. Excitement propelled through her for a moment and then embarrassment as she glance down at her outfit. She had been acting stupid playing dress up and was caught like a little girl in her mother's makeup drawer.

"No, I was just…changing" she said turning to the closet. Gabrielle had shot over to her holding the door closed before she could even reach for it.

"You don't have to change. I like what you're wearing."

Chloe saw his eyes were a bit lighter than before already and wondered how long he had been watching her. "How long have you been in my room?"

"I just came in…you saw me." He was grinning now like a child playing his favorite game.

"Uh huh and how long have you been watching me outside my window?"

Gabrielle chuckled and placed his cold hands on Chloe's behind squeezing gently while pressing against her. "Long enough to know you like wearing pink underwear."

"Oh god" she said her cheeks burning a cherry red. She let her head fall onto his chest, but felt one of his hands leave her behind to pull her chin back up.

"Don't be embarrassed. I like em and did I mention how sexy you look right now? I don't know if I'm gonna be able to control myself at the house."

Chloe was still blushing, but almost did a double take with that last thing he said. "Wait? What? The house?"

"Yes, I'm taking you to back to my place tonight."

"But what about my uncle? He said he was going to be back soon and not to mention he said he was going to kill you if he ever found you here" she rambled on. Gabrielle bent down and kissed her lips stopping them from saying anymore.

"It will be fine. I heard everything he said and Laman and Resacra are keeping an eye on him for me. He has never seen them before and I don't think he will be any trouble anyways. He and his friends have gone to a small bar just outside of town. They are having to rethink their strategy to find us, which should occupy their time for the rest of the night. And I'll bring you back before Dunn can even walk out of the bar."

Chloe relaxed a bit in his arms. They were going to have some time to be together and hopefully this time she wouldn't fall asleep on him. _But, why did he want to take her back to his place_, she wondered. "Is there a reason we're going to your place?"

"Why, you don't want to?"

Chloe could see his brow furrow as though he was hurt at the thought of her refusing to go with him, but that wasn't it at all. She quickly tried to back pedal. "No, it's great. I was just curious."

Gabrielle flashed a smile again and whispered in her ear, "I want to show you some things. I figured it would be best for you to know more about me before you make up your mind."

"Yes, that would be best" she smirked watching his face light up. Chloe slipped some black sandals on and allowed him pull her to the window.

oo

After they arrived at the house, Gabrielle set Chloe down in the living room as she ran her fingers through her hair trying to tame it from the run. Gabrielle watched as she gazed around the room, probably recalling it from her first time here. She had been so scared that night not knowing what was going to happen to her. Gabrielle couldn't blame her, if she hadn't been his vampire mate he had no idea what would have happened instead. He didn't want to think about it.

However, Gabrielle brought Chloe here tonight to show her what it was going to be like living with him―well almost what it would be like. There was one task he was determined to wait until she was immortal for, but how she was dressed and how self conscious she always was about her looks, it would be hard to resist and not "give her a good seeing to" as the men from London preferred to call it―but also there were a few more personal things of his he thought Chloe might enjoy.

"Shall I show you some of the other rooms in the house first?"

Chloe nodded her head with curiosity burning in her blue eyes and grabbed Gabrielle's hand he had extended for her. She was always so warm and delicate feeling; if he was to turn her, he would definitely miss that about her. _At least her looks wouldn't change much_, he thought. When the venom takes effect, it transforms the body into its highest potential or peak. And even though Chloe was self conscious about her body, Gabrielle knew when she's turned she will be surprise to discover her body is not that far off. He wished she wouldn't be so shy and embarrassed all the time around him. There was nothing to be embarrassed about. If he did nothing else for her, he would find a way to convince her she was so much more beautiful than she considered herself. Gabrielle loved the fact that Chloe was shapelier and had subtle curves unlike those stick figures that are so popular now. He could not understand how any man would think that was attractive. No, Chloe had something to actually offer rather than just a skeleton with skin. She was what a real woman was supposed to look like.

They made their way to the back of the house where Gabrielle showed Chloe the office room with all his records and books.

"You've read all these?" she asked pointing to the shelves upon shelves around the walls. The spines of thick and thin books, fictional, medical journals, historical texts and anything you can think of he had. It was filled like his own personal library.

"Yes of course. When you're a vampire you have lots of time on your hands."

"Oh, right."

"Come on I want to show you another room" Gabrielle grinned guiltily as he towed her upstairs to the master bedroom. It was the last door in the hallway. When he opened it, Chloe's eyes were huge stunned at all the gold trim and materials draped over the bed. It was enormous in the center of the room, much more grand than anything Gabrielle would have chosen. He had simpler taste than Laman and Resacra. Panels of mirrors lined one of the walls reflecting the enormity of the room, making it appear even larger.

"Is this your room?" Chloe asked still gazing around trying to catch all the details of this monstrosity of a room.

"Ha, no it isn't. This is Laman and Resacra's room; mine's much smaller, down the hall. I don't have a bed either."

"Why don't you have a bed?"

Gabrielle glanced down at Chloe studying her expression. "Well, I haven't needed one until now" he said grazing her cheek and watching her turn a cherry red. "Do you want to see it?"

Chloe blushed once more and shook her head yes. "Okay, follow me madam." His French accent made her laugh as Gabrielle walked her to the door next to the bathroom she had showered in before and led her into his room. The paintings on the walls were the first things to draw Chloe in. One was a woman watching her children play with toys that look older than a top and the other was with the same woman washing her children's clothing. The brushstrokes were soft and blended well. "These look familiar. I took Art History in college as an elective and I know I've seen these before."

"Well, you haven't seen these particular ones, but you may know the artist who painted them. Angelica Kauffman?"

"Really? Oh wow, did you know her?"

"I met her, yes, when Sebastian and I went to London to search for my maker. I am a big supporter of the arts and she was one of only two women artists known among the founding members of the Royal Academy in London. She is Swedish, but had been invited there by a client in 1766."

"That is so cool. How did you get her to give up these paintings?"

"Well, like every mortal woman I've encountered, they haven't been able to resist my vampiric persuasions" Gabrielle grinned pulling Chloe into him.

"You didn't…kill her did you?" she gulped placing her hands on his chest.

"No, no. Angelica died in 1807, peacefully I might add." Did she really think he had murdered that woman for some paintings, especially someone that important to history? "I don't kill every human I see Chloe. In fact, I try my best to keep my distance from them."

"Except me" she added.

"Yes, except you." Gabrielle had been very good not to fantasize being with Chloe, but he could sense the pheromones once again radiating and heard her heart pounding beneath her chest. She must have been thinking of him; he loved the way she reacted to him. _God could this woman make it any harder for him to be good!_ Gabrielle placed his hand onto her warm skin covering the spot where her heart was beating and felt her quiver from his touch. It wasn't a quiver like she was afraid, but a quiver like she was enticed for more. And he wanted nothing more than to give her what she wanted, but Laman had said it could be too much for a human. Although, Chloe was strong; he knew she would be able to handle whatever she came across. He knew this because of how she reacted to him in the first place, when he told her all those details about vampires, she not once flinched or ran. She was strong, but would she be strong enough for this? Immortal love could be overwhelming even to Gabrielle; so what would it do to Chloe? Laman didn't, however, say it would hurt her in any way to make love while she was still human and Gabrielle did have inhuman strength, but he would never do anything to cause her pain. _Damn it! _All Gabrielle was doing was trying to justify making love to Chloe right this minute, but he couldn't do that to her, especially not knowing what the after effects would be. And if her uncle were to return home soon, there was no telling what kind of shape she would be in or what shape he would even be in. This was all very new to him. If he did make love to her before she were immortal, it would have to be when they had plenty of time to enjoy one another with rest afterwards and when Dunn wasn't a threat.

There, he felt better at the conclusion he came up with to wait and let his hand fall from her skin. It would be easier for him if he didn't touch her like that, maybe even for both of them. He listened as her heart rate returned to a healthy pace and pointed to the leather couch. "You sit down; I want to show you something."

Chloe obeyed while Gabrielle opened his closet and scanned through all the smaller boxes he had stored on the shelves above. He came across a very old wooden box with its edges crumbling away. Sitting down beside her on the couch, Gabrielle handed her the box. "Open it."

"What is it?"

"You'll see" he smirked nudging her. Chloe lifted the lid to find incased red velvet lining and an antique silver pocket watch. "It was my father's."

"It's beautiful" she grinned as she picked it up to examine it closer. As she flipped it over, the name Thomas Alexander was inscribed on the back with beautiful script. "Is that your last name, Alexander?"

"Yes it is."

"Gabrielle Alexander…I like that."

Gabrielle laughed as she continued to study the watch. He had forgotten she didn't know his last name and come to think of it, he had no idea what hers was either. Gabrielle assumed it was Dunn, but he wasn't her father. "Is your last name Dunn too?"

"Oh no, it's Reeves. My uncle's sister was my mother."

"Hum, Chloe Reeves. I like that much better than Chloe Dunn" he chuckled and so did she. Gabrielle stared as she placed the watch back in the box and closed the lid. After all this time with her, he was beginning to realize how much he had told Chloe of his life, but he had not yet asked any questions regarding hers. "Chloe, what were your parents like?"

He surprised her with the question. Gabrielle hoped it wouldn't upset her to talk about them, but she was like him in the since they had both lost their parents unfairly. "Well, um…they were like any parents, loving, caring, they always took me places like ballet classes or softball practice and were very supportive, towards the end, of my passion for helping children."

"How did they die?"

"It was a car accident; completely totaled under a truck."

"That's awful. It must have been hard on you."

"Yeah it was" she winced. Gabrielle could see this was making her uncomfortable and decided to change the subject. "So, you help children?"

"Yeah, I work at Trenton's in Wetumpka. I just started there last week actually and part of the reason Sebastian had found me in the first place." Gabrielle laughed at the logic of it all, well destiny. Everything felt like a connection to another, building blocks to how he and Chloe had been brought together. This had to be fate and he hoped Chloe would see it that way.

Gabrielle pondered in his head for other little details he wanted to know about her. "What's your favorite color?"

"Ha uh…it's blue." Gabrielle shook his head; she must have loved the guest room then. Everything in that room is blue, except the wooden dresser he had made himself.

"Have you had any other men in your life?" Chloe blushed; just as he had suspected, she had. Gabrielle didn't like the thought of her in another man's arms, but would respect the fact it was in the past and any man was crazy not to want her.

"One and I wouldn't exactly call him my man…he was more like a huge mistake."

_Ah, one of those._ He had heard it all over the years, but wondered what a man would ever do to hurt Chloe. "What happened? Did he find himself a mistress?"

"No, it was my second year at college and we met in a philosophy class. He wouldn't stop bugging me to go on a date with him and I finally gave in. He had a way of seducing women; let's just say I was naïve enough to believe him. Well, afterwards he never spoke to me and wouldn't answer my calls. It had turned out to be a dare he made with one of his buddies…to see how many girl's in the class they could lay."

Gabrielle felt a growl building in the pit of his stomach. If only he had known Chloe then, he would have ripped out that man's throat and broke every bone with just a twitch of his finger. No one should ever be treated like that, especially her. She was too kind and loving to be treated like a used paper sack. No wonder she was so hesitant towards him. She was afraid of something like that happening again. He wanted to throw something as he balled his fists up. Gabrielle felt Chloe's hand squeeze his arm, which made him calm down some. "Don't worry about it. I'm over it now, besides I have you and I know you would never do anything like that to me."

"I promise I will never hurt you" he exclaimed in deep serious tone. Gabrielle pulled her into a hug and kissed her forehead. No matter if she decided to be with him or not, he would never do anything to cause her regret in meeting him. Chloe's warm body nestled into him; he could sense her sweet blood pulsing through her veins quicker. She was nervous. Gabrielle could feel his mouth beginning to water with a hint of venom seeping in. Chloe wasn't in any danger of course and he wasn't thirsty; it was just Gabrielle craved to know the reason behind her emotions. With just one drop of her blood, he could learn everything he wanted about the woman, more of the hidden secrets behind her hesitations towards him. The venom was starting to fill his mouth as his canine teeth ached to show themselves, but he refused to let them. He couldn't bite her no matter what; the venom would get into her bloodstream if he did.

"What's the matter? You seem tense" Chloe said sitting up to look at him.

Gabrielle composed himself and tried to relax, even though the venom was still flowing into his mouth. "Nothing for you to worry yourself with."

"Are you still upset over that guy I told you about? I guess I shouldn't have said…"

"No, I'm not upset. However, if I had been there when it happened, the guy wouldn't have lived for very long."

Chloe cringed next to him and shook her head, "Don't say that. Some people can be mean, but they don't deserve to die because of it."

The flow of the venom was slowing; she was distracting him. _Good_. "Some of them do, trust me."

"Well…if you were there, it wouldn't have happened to begin with because I would have been with you." She folded her arms across her chest proud of her conclusive argument. Her stubbornness was so adorable; Gabrielle couldn't resist but to pull her back in his arms. "That's very true" he smirked. "You might have even gotten tired of finding me in the same classes as you every semester."

She laughed. "Have you ever been to college before? As a vampire, I mean."

"I am a bit too old looking to be in college, but I have snuck into a few classes before. I like to see what humans are teaching now and if it's accurate to what I've seen."

"And are they accurate?"

"For the most part." The taste in Gabrielle's mouth left no more traces of venom. He had won over the natural urge to bite her, which wasn't very hard, but incredibly annoying. It was only a matter of focusing. If he wanted to know something about Chloe, he would ask like a normal person unless the time came when he would change her. Even though obviously she loved him, there was still a good chance she would want to remain a human and Gabrielle would have to live with that if she did.

"Where are the others, Sebastian and Preston?" Chloe asked placing her warm hand on the side of his neck, shifting Gabrielle's focus to the sensations it was causing.

"They're in Montgomery, feeding. Sebastian thought it best for him to travel with Preston this time…make sure he doesn't get into anymore trouble. So, we have the house to ourselves for this evening."

The skin of his chest and arms were becoming very warm from holding Chloe near him for so long. He was not used to the feeling. Sure, vampire's temperature raises some after feeding, but never to this degree and Gabrielle wanted to stay warm because it would mean having Chloe with him, safe in his arms. And the thought of him taking her home was almost unbearable. "I wish I didn't have to take you back tonight."

Chloe's hand dropped to his shirt over his chest and then slid back between him and the leather couch, where she squeezed him like a stuffed animal. "Me either." They held each other for what felt like hours, neither one moving, neither one wanting to let go the other. Gabrielle sat motionless, listening to the soft erythematic beats of her heart, pumping like music. It was the most beautiful music he'd ever heard, correlating with the sound of her breathing. When Gabrielle heard the front door open, a sigh of frustration released. He didn't want this to end; he wasn't ready, but he could hear Laman and Resacra approaching the stairs.

"What is it?" Chloe asked just as Laman tapped on the door. They both looked up while he proceeded into the room.

"Sorry to interrupt, but if you want to get her home before Dunn, you might want to leave now. He just left the bar with the others."

"Okay, thank you Laman." Gabrielle watched as he receded back following Resacra probably to their room. Jealousy stung as he wished that were possible for him and Chloe; to have all night to themselves. "Well I better take you back, before Dunn finds out you're missing."

"Damn it" Chloe spat reluctant to get up.

"I know how you feel."

Gabrielle grabbed Chloe and they were downstairs, out the door, racing past trees not two minutes after Laman and Resacra had warned them of her uncle's return. Chloe clung to him and kept her head tucked into his neck. She had to be used to this by now, he thought. It was so dark, but with Gabrielle's extra sensitive vision, he could already see beyond the trees a small yellow house sat, waiting for them. He could see Dunn's truck wasn't there yet as he made it out of the woods with Chloe and now sprinting through the field.

When they made it to the window it was already unlocked from when they had left earlier and Gabrielle set Chloe inside, but didn't join her. They didn't have long before Dunn would return and he could hear a car rolling down the driveway now. "You aren't coming in?" Chloe asked.

"Not tonight, no. You're uncle is here."

"Crap…will you come back tomorrow?"

"When darkness falls. I'm sure Laman can figure some way to keep your uncle busy" Gabrielle laughed. "And Chloe, don't forget to leave your window unlocked."

"I will." Gabrielle pulled Chloe down to lean through the window and pressed his lips to hers. A goodbye kiss would have to be enough to make it through the next day without her. He didn't kiss her like before with desire and hunger; this was much softer and sweet. Something gentle, but powerful for her to remember him by. Knowing Chloe wasn't going to stop; he carefully parted from her and smiled. "I must go."

"I'll be waiting." Yes, he knew she would be.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Chloe grabbed a tiny travel brush she kept in her purse and feathered through her brown hair while humming a made up song in the empty bathroom at Trenton's. Her chipper delicate voice echoed off the yellow tiles. It had been almost two weeks since Nick had kidnapped Preston and things between her uncle and Gabrielle's coven seemed to have calmed down a bit. Even though Nick had made it abundantly clear he wanted her to stay away from Gabrielle, Chloe suspected her uncle knew she spent most of her free time with him anyways. Every time she would come home from a "night out with the girl's at work", Nick, from a distance, examined favorite feeding spots among vampires, like the neck or wrists and came up with no bite marks; so he kept his suspicions to himself. It felt to Chloe like Nick wanted to find something, so he could point his finger at her and yell "told ya so!", but what he didn't know was that if she was bitten, there would be no way for her to come back home. The venom would have spread by then and she would look like nothing more than a corpse to her uncle.

The cold tap was somewhat rusted and Chloe struggled to turn the knob allowing a drizzle of water to leak out. She wanted to freshen up before Gabrielle arrived to pick her up. He had driven her to and from work every day this week, another secret she was keeping from her uncle. Gabrielle had insisted as long as he could drive her before the sun came up and after nearing twilight, just to be safe. The more Chloe thought about it, the more she felt like it was all a dream. Something she made up in her head as a result of too much alcohol the previous night at a girlfriend's house. Maybe she was still at AUM with her friends, studying to be a child psychologist and never came home to Good Hope to begin with. Instead she was sprawled across her bed fixing to wake up with a terrible hangover and an awesome story to tell. After all, vampires had never been something she believed in before, just watched them on the big screen for entertainment like Queen of the Damned. She used to wonder what it would be like if Anne Rice's character, Lestat, really existed and now she guessed she knew. Although, real vampires weren't exactly like the ones from famous novels like Anne Rice, but pretty damn close.

The memory of everything that had happened since her return home continued to play over and over in her head like a movie reel as her fingers ran water through the strands trying to settle the isolated frizzes hovering above like a halo. Even though her hair was naturally flat, sometimes she couldn't help the stubbornness of a frizz head when the humidity outside was thick; thick enough to feel as though you were inhaling a glass of water rather than drinking it. Your throat would seem heavy and closed off, like the air was choking you rather than filling your lungs with the relief they craved of oxygen. But after living in the south all your life, it's something you're used to. She had managed to get the halo of hairs to lie down, but it would only be a matter of time before they would pop back up like springs, most likely the moment she stepped outside.

Other memories crept into her head like the one of Preston chained to the wall in the storm cellar at Ethan's and she remembered how scared she had been. Not for herself, no, but for Preston and her uncle. She remembered the urge she felt to protect both, like it wasn't just her uncle that had been her family, but Preston as well…as though Preston and the rest of Gabrielle's coven was a part of her family now too. She recalled frantically trying to find Gabrielle to save Preston from her uncle's crazed revenge on vampires. Suddenly as Chloe was putting away her brush in the brown leather purse on the counter, the memory of the bar, Willy's Pub, and the other vampires she had encountered hit her like a wrecking ball. She had forgotten all about that little incident next to the warehouse she had witnessed in Wetumpka, probably too worried about Preston at the time and overwhelmed by seeing Gabrielle again; she had forgotten to even mention it to him. What had she heard? Most everything was a blur that night; it was hard for her to recall everything that was said between the vampires, she supposed that's what most of them were. She obviously remember one vampire in particular; the beautiful blonde vampire Chloe had seen at first in the bar seducing and toying with the men at the door like they were just little pawns on her chess board, easy to move around when necessary and disposable. Disposable, yes just like the drunk they had gagged, choking on the soaked material while yelling for help with them in the warehouse. That poor man, how could she have dismissed him from her thoughts so quickly? She knew deep down he was probably already dead and wondered how many other men the blonde vampire had lured to the warehouse thinking they were the luckiest men on earth, fixing to get laid by a goddess in stilettos. Chloe's intuition begged her to inform Gabrielle of what she could remember as soon as they were together again, which would be very soon hopefully. It was almost five now and he should be driving up any minute in her blue van. _What was that vampire's name?_ It was on the tip of her tongue. She definitely remembered someone saying it out loud; it had started with a B or was it a V? _Ugh_, she didn't know, but maybe it would come to her soon. It wasn't given that Gabrielle would do anything about the other vampire or if it was even in his power to, but there was something about the situation that just wasn't right. Chloe felt it in the pit of her stomach like a fog of evil brewing so close to her work in that metal warehouse and soon it would show itself if something wasn't done quick.

Chloe glanced once more at herself in the mirror―her cream blouse and navy slacks appeared heavily wrinkled from sitting and helping the children so much―and threw her purse onto her shoulder. There was a new small worry line embedded on her forehead; no matter how she moved her head or lifted her eyebrows up and down it wouldn't disappear. Great, she thought. Gabrielle would definitely notice something was bugging her. _Oh well, he will find out soon enough_. She pushed through the swinging door out of the ladies room and almost slammed into the chest of Mr. Stanley, her boss.

"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry sir. I didn't know you were there."

"Chloe? What are you still doing here? I thought you had gone on home by now."

"Um…" Chloe thought quickly what to say. She couldn't tell her boss that she was waiting for her vampire boyfriend―well, he was much more than a boyfriend, but she hadn't committed herself as being his mate yet― to pick her up. He wouldn't believe her anyways. Chloe just stood there staring dumbfounded at her boss.

"You should get going, Chloe. Wetumpka hasn't been very safe at night lately with all these disappearances and you're too good of a worker for me to lose now."

She noticed perspiration shining off Mr. Stanley's forehead and his hands were slightly trembling like he had had one too many cups of coffee and feeling the effects of the caffeine now. She wondered what had him jittery; was it the disappearances? "Mr. Stanley, are you alright? You don't look so good."

"I'm fine, just didn't get a lot of sleep last night."

"Oh, well why don't you go home and rest. I can lock up for you."

"No, no that's alright. I don't plan on staying…here much longer. You get out of here now, before it gets too dark, ya hear?"

"Yes sir. Do you need me to come in early in the morning? Let you get some extra sleep? I don't mind." Chloe couldn't help grinning on the inside thinking of the extra time she would have with Gabrielle in the morning as well if she did.

Mr. Stanley lifted his hands in protest revealing sweat stains in the pits of his royal blue button down shirt. "No! I mean, I wouldn't want you here all by yourself so early. Just come in at regular time." Chloe was starting to worry about her boss. He seemed really stressed lately, even showing more age lines across his forehead and crow's feet more defined. He had aged since three weeks ago when she first came to Wetumpka, even with small bags under his eyes she figured from the lack of sleep he mentioned. Her heart jumped for a split second into her throat and wondered if he knew anything about Gabrielle and the other vampires. No, that wasn't possible, she tried calming herself. Any normal person that knew about them in town would move away quicker than a rattlesnake could snap at its prey. There had to be a logical, _normal_ explanation for his stress, maybe marital problems at home or something. "Go home Chloe" he finally said firmly after watching her stare at him for a full minute.

"Oh, yes. See you tomorrow Mr. Stanley." She waved back at him as her hand grasped the door handle, but he had already receded back into his office. _Hum, I hope he feels better tomorrow_, she thought and walked out into the parking lot.

Gabrielle was always there around five-thirty when the sun was snug behind the many hills of trees the South provided, shade. The last thing she wanted was Gabrielle to be literally blinded by the sun and therefore urged him to wait for the sun to set more before coming to get her, but she knew he didn't want to leave her alone in Wetumpka, just as Mr. Stanley refused to let her be here alone at Trenton's. _Must be an overprotective male thing_, Chloe figured.

She breathed in the thick warm air as deep as her lungs would allow and glanced around for her van. It was towards the back, parked under a few oak trees completely blocked from the remaining bit of sunlight. There was only one other car in the parking lot near it and Chloe guessed it was Mr. Stanley's silver Lexus. She wondered how in the world he made enough money to afford a car like that, but he was head of Trenton's and probably had been for awhile. Gabrielle motioned for her with a smirk lighting up his face as she approached the van. She could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks. He still made her flush from the way he looked at her as though Chloe was the most beautiful woman in the world and the best thing that had happened to him. She just couldn't grasp how that would be possible, but no matter how much time she spent with him, the embarrassment it caused her remained. She was not all he thought her to be.

Gabrielle's smirk widened to a full grin as Chloe climb into the passenger seat and tossed her purse to the floor between the console and her feet. As soon as she shut the door, Gabrielle leaned over and pressed his lips to hers, something he did every time she returned to the car no matter what time of day it was. The kiss, to Chloe, lasted long enough for her to lose track of place and time and then pull away just when she decided she didn't want him to stop. It was very frustrating, but at the same time she couldn't imagine not kissing him, especially after a long day of screaming children. She needed the distraction.

He sat back in the driver's seat and licked his lips, still with the smirk plastered to his face. "Mmm, now we can leave." He started the van and pulled out of the parking space as Chloe stared at him as she always did when he drove her home. She didn't want to look away in fear he would disappear and it would indeed be just a beautiful dream like she had suspected to begin with. She saw Gabrielle was wearing jeans and today a navy blue button down with the top few buttons left open. Chloe could not help, but stare at the chalky smooth skin left bare and bit of blonde chest hair peeking out from just under the material. It wasn't a lot of chest hair like the unattractive shag carpet some men had, but just a little that was very sexy to Chloe. She had to hold the door handle to keep from reaching over and touching his cold skin with her fingers that ached to do so. As her eyes moved from the sharp contours of his face to the white silkiness of his chest, Chloe realized she had never seen him with his shirt off and yet he had seen her. It wasn't fair. He always wore clothing hinting at the beautiful subtle muscles underneath almost like he was deliberately teasing her.

"What is it?" Gabrielle asked peering over at her with curiosity. "You look frustrated. Did something happen at work?"

Chloe forced herself to look ahead to the road and shook her head at first, but then remembered what she had intended to tell him in Trenton's. "Well, I remembered something from that night when Nick had Preston in the storm cellar."

"What do you mean?" Gabrielle finally dropped the smile and all that remained was the curiosity with maybe a hint of worry to his face now. Chloe didn't like seeing him like that and was having second thoughts about telling him. _It could wait_, she thought. _Why spoil a perfectly good evening with useless worry,_ but as soon as she returned her gaze to Gabrielle she figured it was too late. He would not let this go as long as it bothered Chloe and it did bother her. "Tell me. Was it something your uncle said or the others?"

"No, nothing like that. It was when I came here to look for you."

"You came here by yourself that night?" Chloe could tell he was not liking where this conversation was heading, but she had to tell him what she saw and heard.

"Yes, I came to Willy's where Sebastian had first found me. I figured maybe you or someone from the coven would be there and I would be able to tell them what was happening with Preston."

"You shouldn't have Chloe. It's too dangerous and I had planned on coming to see you anyways."

"I know, I'm sorry, but it was an emergency and I had no way of knowing you were ever coming back."

"Well, if I hadn't I'm sure you would have tried to find me eventually, but that's not the point. Why are you telling me this now?"

"Well, when I was in the bar, I kind of saw another vampire. I recognized her by her pale skin and abnormal beauty; not to mention the men were flocking to her like moths to a light bulb. And I, sort of followed her…"

"You did what?" Gabrielle hollered. Chloe hadn't calculated the chances of Gabrielle getting pissed at her into the equation and it was unsettling. She almost saw him for what he truly was as he panted pointless breaths, a frightening vampire. "How could you act so ignorant knowing what she was and what she was capable of? Had I not explained sufficiently enough that vampires drink blood and could kill you in seconds if they chose?"

"I'm…I'm sorry Gabrielle." Her voice cracked and she sounded more upset than she actually felt, but she didn't like him yelling at her and it jerked Gabrielle out of his rising frustration. His eyes softened as he glanced at Chloe once more and reached for her hand, squeezing it under his icy fingers gently. "No, I'm sorry for losing my temper with you. I just didn't know you put yourself in danger to find me and if I had any idea you…I would have…" "Please forgive me, Chloe."

"No, it's my fault Gabrielle. You're right, I put myself in harm's way and it was a stupid thing to do. But, I have to tell you what I heard. I don't know why, but it feels important somehow."

Gabrielle nodded his head like he understood and released her hand holding the steering wheel with both of his as he prepared to listen intently to what she had to say.

Chloe took a deep breath and began. "First, you must know I only followed her because I thought maybe she knew who you were and could somehow tell me how to find you, but of course now it just sounds stupid. I guess not all vampires are merciful and kind like you. Well, when I saw her walk across the parking lot and go into the warehouse next door, I followed her over there. I don't think she heard me because either she was too distracted or I was far enough away she couldn't hear me, but now that I think about it I'm sure she was just distracted. I remember hearing at least four different voices; hers of course, two other men working for her it seemed and then a man from the bar that sounded like he had a gag in his mouth. I can recall one of the men being worried that whatever they were planning wasn't going to work and the woman vampire assured him it would and they were going to use the tied up man as a "test subject" she called him. I think whatever they are planning is something big, because at first she was harping more to herself I think that 'humans weren't going to know what hit them' or something like that. It scared the crap out of me and the way she said it. I could hear the malice and hatred in her voice; so I backed away as quietly as I could…I didn't even breathe until I reached my van and got out of there before they noticed me. Thank God, they were really distracted with whatever they were planning; otherwise I might have been…

Chloe stopped before she said too much and upset Gabrielle again, but it seemed he was already upset as it was. His hands were griping the steering wheel so tightly; she could see imprints forming where his fingers clasped down. She noticed his black eyes were solid and a burning rage was building behind them. Chloe couldn't help but fear him. She wasn't afraid he would do anything to hurt her, but she wasn't sure what he was going to do period; he looked so furious.

Gabrielle exhaled loudly the breath he had apparently been holding the whole time Chloe told her story and reluctantly removed one of his hands to press a button on the dashboard, the emergency lights, with a red triangle symbol and another in the center of it as he pulled the van over on the side of the highway. "What are you doing? I'm sorry for upsetting…" Chloe began, flabbergasted.

"Don't…" Gabrielle interrupted her and closed his eyes with his head laid back on the headrest. Chloe was nervous; it was all her fault and now Gabrielle was angry with her. She shouldn't have said anything. She stared at him waiting for him to look at her; his blond wavy hair resting above the top of his shoulder blades between him and the seat. It looked a little longer than when she first met him. Could vampire hair grow? That was baffling. Well, he did say that in a way he was still alive, just different. Chloe guessed the hair was another way to appear normal was something that would be needed.

She continued to watch him breathe slowly in and out and said nothing as she waited. The sun had fallen to where all but a sliver was now hidden behind the horizon of the hills and darker oranges and pinks coated the sky. Gabrielle finally lifted his head and turned to face Chloe. She hesitated looking into his eyes for fear of what she might see, but embraced the inevitable and finally looked; they were a soft black once again and the burning rage was no more. He was calm now. Chloe relaxed some herself and felt his cold hands slide up to either side of her face. He had her in a vice with his hands and she couldn't move, but he was once again her Gabrielle she knew, gentle, and didn't want to move. He peered into her eyes and whispered. "Don't ever do that again; do you understand?"

Chloe nodded her head between his cold palms. He closed his eyes. "If I ever lost you, I don't think I could live without…just don't ever do that, promise me."

"I promise" Chloe gulped as he opened his eyes to her once more. He pulled her face to his and kissed her again, but this time with anguish behind it like he was afraid of never being able to feel her lips on his again. But Chloe knew that wasn't true, because she would keep her promise and never do anything to put herself in danger again. On the grave of her parents, she wouldn't.

Gabrielle released her and turned the emergency lights back off. As the van merged onto the highway, Chloe felt relieved to have told him about those other vampires, but was ticked off with herself for making Gabrielle so distressed by her idiocy. "I never intended to upset you with this, but you needed to know what I overheard."

"Yes, it's better that you told me."

"Did you know about those vampires?"

"No, we haven't been going to Wetumpka anymore. But vampires are more common than you think. Most travel around, never staying in one place longer than a couple of days. However, this vampire you speak of seems to be here to stay for the time being. Did you hear her name or any of the other's names?"

"I did hear hers, but I can't remember it. It started with a B or V I think."

"Hmm." Chloe watched Gabrielle consider everything as they exited off the highway and started for her house. She wondered if Gabrielle was going to run her to his house tonight.

"I don't think it wise to interfere with another vampire, but if she starts a mass killing of humans in Wetumpka, my coven may have to step in and drive her away. But, I don't see that happening, so let's just leave things be for now. Either I or Sebastian can keep an eye on them there."

"Please be careful, I don't want anything to happen to you either…or Sebastian."

"Don't worry about us, we have been able to handle ourselves for quite some time and we won't get too close. Like I said vampires aren't too fond of other vampires getting in the middle of their business."

"Fine." Chloe did feel better knowing that if something was going down in Wetumpka, someone would find out so they could prevent them from doing whatever it may be. But she didn't want them to risk their lives over this.

"Don't fret sweetie. Nothing will happen. Okay, here is where I get out…see you in a minute." Chloe nodded her head and moved over to the driver side as Gabrielle hopped out. About two miles from her house, Gabrielle always let her drive herself the rest of the way incase her uncle was home watching, waiting for her. It was only a precaution, a good precaution. The van was over to the side of the road next to an old white church arced with trees behind it. It would be hard for others to see Gabrielle sprint for the trees because they were so close. Chloe shut the door after she saw a blur that was Gabrielle pass through the barricade of leaves and branches and then departed for home.

This was the first time she was ashamed and almost embarrassed to face Gabrielle again. She not only wanted to keep her promise, but she vowed to never upset him like that again either. It would be the worst _sin_ she could think of right now to commit. Thankfully, her uncle's truck was missing from the gravel driveway when she pulled the van up to the garage and killed the engine. He was still at work or out with his buddies. _Good_, she thought.

After dragging herself inside to her room, Gabrielle was sprawled across her bed with one hand over his face, pinching the bridge of his nose like he had worked an eight hour shift at a construction site and was exhausted. If he was exhausted, Chloe knew it would be her fault. She tossed her purse down by her nightstand and walked to her closet to find some comfy clothes to slip into. She wasn't exactly in the best of moods now. Chloe found some black cotton pants and then went to her drawer to find a t-shirt. Before she did though, she turned to Gabrielle and asked what the plans were tonight. "Are we going to your place or staying here tonight?"

He froze a moment then sat up at the end of her bed. "Neither…you're staying here tonight."

That confused Chloe. He was leaving her here? Had she upset him that much, to make him not want to stay with her tonight? "What? But…"

"Calm down, it's not you. I need to discuss this new situation with the others."

"Well, don't you think I should be a part of that? I mean after all, I did see this vampire and know what she looks like."

"Yes, that's true, but you can share that with them later. I need to feed tonight as well."

Chloe stopped and gawked at him. Sometimes it was easy to forget a vampire's needs, when you're both wrapped up in each other or a mistake one of them has made.

"That upset you didn't it?" he asked standing up and walking over to her.

"No, it didn't." Gabrielle raised an eyebrow and peered down at her. "Yes it did."

"Okay fine, it's just I forget sometimes and then, I think of you taking someone's life and what it would be like if I had to do the same and…"

"Shh" Gabrielle hushed, pulling her into his chest. She felt snug and safe in his chilly arms; it was nice. "I know it's a horrible thing, but you don't have to think about that right now."

"But I want to be with you Gabrielle and if I'm going to be I have to think of those things. I'm going to be immortal too and with that comes certain consequences. I have to make sure…"

He hushed her once again as her arms wrapped around his waist. "You know I don't deserve you right?" Chloe lifted her head from his chest and looked up at him confused again. "No, I don't deserve you" she corrected him.

"Nope, you have that backwards" he smirked just like he had before when he first picked her up today and leaned down to kiss her. The pants she was still clinging too in her left hand fell to the carpet; all her attention was now on the feel of Gabrielle's cold tongue caressing hers. It was a much more passionate kiss than before and Chloe was beginning to lose all sense of her surroundings again, but worse this time. Nothing existed, not space, not time, not her uncle, not even that stupid woman vampire at the bar; the only thing that existed was Gabrielle and the pleasure of his hungry kiss and the feeling of her body pressed against his firm, strong one.

Before she knew what she was doing, her hands slid from behind Gabrielle and up his chest to the top closed button of his shirt where she made an inch or two of room between them. She pushed it through the hole letting more of his silky white skin show and then another, and another. Gabrielle hadn't stopped her this time and a celebration from the small victory erupted within her. She came to the last button and managed to fully part the material. Chloe pushed her mouth away from his which had been a very difficult thing to do, but she wanted to see him. She wanted to explore the planes of his chest, like it was her own personal playground. What was showing of his chest and stomach was absolutely gorgeous. Chloe almost gasped at the beautiful curves of his muscles. They weren't unattractively bulky, but subtle and smooth. Her mouth connected with his skin without hesitation and Chloe heard a groan deep in him escape and it was a groan of approval. Another victory, Chloe hadn't even thought herself capable of doing, but there she was kissing and caressing the torso of the most beautiful man she had ever seen in her life.

Her heart pounded within her chest as her kisses gradually streamed to his lower stomach and she kneeled before him. Her lips and tongue were becoming numb from the temperature of his skin, like kissing a block of soft ice. She knew what she wanted to do and Chloe could feel beneath his jeans he wanted her to. It was only a matter of mustering up enough courage to do it. She had never tried anything like this before and her hands were starting to tremble slightly as Chloe moved them over the button of his jeans. Her girlfriends had described what it was like with their boyfriends and she wanted to experience the same thing. And who better to share this experience with than Gabrielle, her vampire mate.

Chloe swirled her tongue over the sensitive flesh above the rim of his jeans and heard Gabrielle groan louder, slipping his right hand to the back of her head and gripping a hand full of brown hair. As she continued moving her tongue against his skin, she could feel a tingling sensation in her stomach. Chloe couldn't help but moan softly from the pleasure it was causing her, but she passed it off as anticipation of wanting to make love to Gabrielle and returned her concentration to undoing his pants. It was fairly easy to undo the top button, which surprised Chloe and then she pulled the zipper down revealing his black boxer briefs. Chloe grazed her hand over the front of his erect lower body and a wave of excitement stormed through her like a hurricane on coke. She pulled herself off him and tried to catch her breath. The sensation began to recede from her as she shivered kneeling beside her dresser. Gabrielle yanked her up to a standing position and tried to collect himself as well. She noticed his eyes were that silver color again. "What was that?" she asked.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have let you go so far, but I couldn't get a hold of myself. Your mouth felt so good." Gabrielle zipped his pants back up and began buttoning his shirt. The grand victory Chloe once felt had now dissipated; it was a lost battle. But why had she felt a rush of excitement? She couldn't get her brain around it. "Can you please just tell me what just happened?"

Gabrielle pushed the hair back behind Chloe's left ear as she saw the silver reducing to a fine mist over his eyes now. "What you felt was what I was feeling."

"Wait, so you're saying I can feel your pleasure?"

"Yes, and I can feel yours because we're vampire mates. It makes it that much stronger, doubles it practically. It can be a bit overwhelming. Now, do you see why I stopped you? If you hadn't pulled away from me to begin with I'm not sure I would have been able to stop you, but thankfully you did and I think I'm okay now. Just warn me next time you plan on doing something like that."

"Why? So you can stop me ahead of time?" Chloe asked folding her arms across.

"Yes." Gabrielle laughed and kissed her forehead. "I need to go now, before I change my mind and let you have your way with me."

"I still don't see why that's a bad thing. Will you come back though, after you have…fed?" Chloe hesitated saying it, fearing that would make it that much more true.

"It's a good possibility, if you promise not to tempt me."

Before Chloe could bark a comeback, he was out her window again. She had no idea whether he would be back tonight or not. Sometimes he did return and sometimes he didn't; Chloe figured it had something to do with whom he fed from, because of how a vampire absorbed a human's personality for awhile. If he had drunk from a bad person, surely he would want to keep his distance from Chloe just in case. _Precautions, right? _Chloe could sacrifice some time spent with Gabrielle if it meant an innocent girl or decent man was sparred. And she would.


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

The crescent moon was beginning to shine down on the field, reflecting off the blades of blowing grass like silk blonde hair while the crickets had just begun to sound. Gabrielle was only a couple steps within the harbor of the trees from the yellow house past the field, which was a good walk for a human, when a whirl of wind blew from behind causing him to stop instantly and sniff the air. It was filled with a warm sweet aroma of nectarine and white coral flowers, a scent that was becoming so familiar to him he could find it in a crowd of thousands without hesitation. It was Chloe. Why did he catch her scent outside? His body stiffened with alarm and he felt his canine teeth ach to lengthen, which he gladly allowed them to. The venom began its course of flow in his mouth. _Something must be wrong_, he thought. His body reacted before his mind could and in an instant was back to the field, hearing the blades brush against his jeans as he ran. And there he saw her not far from the house with her arms folded in on herself, protective like. She looked cold and nervous like a child with her head down as she stumbled through the grass blades in Gabrielle's direction.

Gabrielle glanced around in search of any danger and sensed nothing. It was only her walking towards him. He slowed to a human pace now that he saw there was no danger. As he took a moment to center himself, his teeth receded back up into his gums with the taste of venom waning. The last thing he wanted was to scare Chloe. Her head finally lifted from the grass and noticed Gabrielle, greeting him with a smile that would have sped up his pulse if he'd had one.

"What are you doing? Why are you out here?" Gabrielle asked finally reaching her.

"I…I didn't want to be alone tonight." She looked as though she was having a hard time speaking with a small break of sweat on her forehead.

"Come now. You know I must feed tonight. If I could stay I would, you know that."

"Yes I do, but Gabrielle I'm scared. When you're not around, I keep thinking about those other vampires and..."

Gabrielle pressed his right palm to her cheek and held her gaze as he spoke. "I won't let anything or anyone hurt you Chloe Reeves. And you have your uncle here to protect you while I'm gone." He relished how her creamy skin appeared so pale in the moonlight, almost as pale as he was.

She sighed and closed her eyes in his hand. "But I feel safest with you."

His chest fluttered, if that was even possible. It pleased him more than he thought it would to hear Chloe's unwavering need for him and obviously not just for protection, but for his company as well. As he stared into her crystal blue eyes that had opened once again, they were so trusting and beautiful; they absorbed every bit of energy he had cautioning him to return her home. But he knew he would give in to her.

"Alright. I had planned on getting Sebastian before I left to feed, so I will take you back to my house before. You will be safe with Resacra while I'm gone."

"Thank you Gabrielle. I knew you would understand." Chloe closed her eyes this time leaning her body into Gabrielle's stretching up to find his lips with her own, which he automatically responded. His arms instantly wrapped around her waist holding her closer and felt her warmth overwhelming. The blood behind her soft pink lips, he could feel, pulsing hot and he sensed her blood flowing faster now as her heart rate rose from their kiss. Gabrielle's mouth began to water with bits of venom seeping in which flailed his attention from the flowing blood. He had denied his hunger long enough. He had to stop before he started to feed from Chloe instead. The light shove he gave her, away from him, startled Chloe making her eyebrows raise in confusion.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I need to feed, Chloe."

Her eyes widened in surprise and then softened with understanding as she realized what the problem was. Then her cheeks grew red. Gabrielle looked away from the blood flourishing under her skin as not to tempt him even more. He was hungrier than he thought. "We need to leave now" he urged. "Do you still wish to come with me, even in my state?"

Chloe grinned and nodded her head. "I trust you."

"Very well" he breathed. Gabrielle stood in front of Chloe and turned her sideways so he could scoop her up in his arms like a bride on her wedding night, a position he was sure she was used to by now. It took all of two seconds before he was once again racing through the trees only this time with his beautiful vampire mate in his arms.

Gabrielle set Chloe on her feet at the front door and reached for the handle, when he felt her tugging on his shirt. She must have been yanking on the material hard to stop him from going inside, but to him it felt like a weak pull from a child instead. He turned to face Chloe, whom had a look of determination.

"Let me go with you to feed." It wasn't a question, but a demand and Gabrielle was not surprised.

"No, it's not safe" he retorted.

"Please, Gabrielle. If I am to become like you…I want to know what it's like." She not once removed her gaze from him, awaiting his decision to allow her to tag along, but would indeed be disappointed. Not only did Gabrielle not want her to see him perform such a task, but also there was no telling how he would react with her there. Too many sensations would overtake him, the blood, the victim's knowledge, his lust for Chloe; he feared it would cause an unnecessary animalistic outburst. He seemed to lose control of himself around Chloe, or for better words didn't necessarily think clear when the vision of her clouded his mind. It was all he could think of, even when she wasn't around him, but to have her there with him as he fed…it was unthinkable. After he drank from his victim, what if he then proceeded to bite her next?

Gabrielle shook the thought from his head. "I'm sorry Chloe, but it's just not possible."

"Why not?" she said folding her arms across her chest. She was incredibly adorable when her frustration got the best of her, Gabrielle thought glancing at her messy hair and wrinkled outfit she still wore from the work day as she tapped her fingers over her forearm.

"Like I said, it's not safe." And he left it at that as he pushed open the front door and stepped inside knowing Chloe was right behind him, upset.

Laman and Resacra were seated in the living room whispering words in each other's ears. Gabrielle knew Chloe couldn't make out what they were saying, but he could definitely hear them with his sensitive ears. Before Gabrielle would have thought the two of them overly romantic and annoying, but now that he had found his mate, he understood why they acted that way. It was something one couldn't help and easy to see himself wooing Chloe for eternity like that. He grabbed her hand pulling her to the living room, while clearing his throat announcing their arrival, unsure whether Laman and Resacra had heard them come in.

The two straightened up and Resacra jumped up from the couch when she saw Chloe. "Chloe! I'm so happy to see you back here again." She rushed over and wrapped her arms around Chloe's waist startling her. "I'm sorry I have not been here much when you have visited with Gabrielle…you know a vampire's life, hectic."

"Or busy in the bedroom!" Sebastian laughed walking in from the other room. "Heard you come in…" he stopped as soon as he saw Chloe and sneered before sitting down in one of the side chairs. "Oh, I thought Gabrielle and I were going hunting this evening, but I see plans have changed" Sebastian spat glaring at Gabrielle.

"Yes, plans have changed, but we are still feeding tonight. Chloe just doesn't want to be alone. I thought she could stay here while we're gone."

Resacra beamed, "Oh that's a wonderful idea. I could use some female bonding, what with all this male vampire testosterone around here."

Chloe glanced at Gabrielle bewildered. He knew she had never talked much with Resacra before, but encouraged her it would be fine.

"Yes, I would love to stay and visit with you Resacra" Chloe managed to say.

"Great!" Resacra yelled.

"Great" Sebastian mocked. "Oh shut your mouth, before I come shut it for you" she hissed at the buff vampire sitting to her right.

Sebastian huffed and rose from his seat, "I'd like to see you try."

"Stop you two. Sebastian, what's gotten into you lately?" Laman asked joining Resacra's side.

"Nothing. Gabrielle are we going hunting or not?"

"Here" Resacra held out her hand to Chloe. "You can come with me while the boys are out and I'll show you my wardrobe." Chloe glanced at her hand and then looked up to Gabrielle. "Go on, you'll have fun and I will come and get you as soon as we return alright?" He kissed her forehead and watched as Resacra towed her away up the stairs smiling like a kid at a circus.

Laman laughed as soon as the women were upstairs. "I think you have made Resacra's night, giving her a human doll to dress up."

"I guess I have."

"So are we leaving or not?" Sebastian said walking towards the front door.

Gabrielle turned to face him, "Wait! There is something I must discuss with you first. Where is Preston?"

Laman spoke before Sebastian could, "He's in his room. I wouldn't worry about him, he already fed yesterday and I doubt he's coming out right now. The human he fed from was emotionally unstable and he's been up in his room crying all day."Sebastian couldn't help but snicker as he walked back into the living room.

"Oh hush, I've seen you pms-ing before from eating a woman on her cycle. I swore if you didn't get any chocolate cake soon, you were going to throw a tantrum like a girl" Laman laughed.

"I don't know what you are talking about. Besides vampires don't eat food and it was just in the woman's mind at the time. I couldn't help it."

Gabrielle cleared his throat and waited for the men's attention to return to him. When they both stopped sneering at one another, Gabrielle explained to them about the vampires Chloe had seen in Wetumpka on the night Preston was taken. It would be wise for them to at least see what the situation is, before they decide to stay any longer. "I think we should feed in Wetumpka, just for tonight and try and locate this woman vampire supposedly conjuring up something for the humans around here."

"Why should we care what other vampire's are doing to humans?" Sebastian asked annoyed.

"Because from what Chloe overheard, this seems to be something meant for a lot of humans, not just a couple around town. And if she is right, this will affect us too and we will no longer be able to remain here."

Sebastian glared at Gabrielle, "Well, I don't see why leaving is such a problem. The vampire hunters have seem to given up and the only reason we're staying now is because of your girlfriend!" His temper was rising and Gabrielle was beginning to get frustrated with him.

"If you wish to leave now, I am not holding you prisoner, you are free to go. We have been together a long time Sebastian and it would be a shame to waste a good friendship because of your jealousy for my vampire mate."

"I'm not jealous!" Sebastian hollered, balling his fists.

Laman said very calmly, "It's okay Sebastian. We understand how you must feel with Gabrielle's time preoccupied with his mate, but you must understand too that Gabrielle cannot help his actions. And when you find your mate you will see how…"

"No, I will not find a mate! I don't wish to be some love sick vampire acting more like a dog than a man. It won't happen!" Sebastian stormed out the front door.

Laman rolled his eyes and looked at Gabrielle "Shall we?"

"What do you think?" Resacra asked opening the double doors in the golden bedroom Gabrielle had once shown Chloe. The so called "closet" was almost as big as the bedroom itself, racks upon racks of shirts, pants, gowns, summer dresses, winter coats and shelves up to the ceiling of shoes to match every outfit, Chloe guessed. Not to mention the drawers of lingerie, nighties and other scandalous things she didn't even want to see.

"There is so much" she gawked twirling around to see everything. It was like she was spelunking in a cave of clothing and there was no way out. There were even hats of different sorts hanging from the ceiling if that were even possible.

"Yeah, call it my passion."

Chloe giggled and looked at Resacra, "Fashion passion?"

"Haha yes, that would be correct." Resacra walked to the gowns and began fumbling through them and ordered Chloe to sit on the circular bench placed in the center of the room. It was red velvet with shiny buttons matching the gold theme throughout the bedroom. It was very soft and comfortable. She leaned her head back against the center of the bench and wondered what Gabrielle was doing. Had he caught his "dinner" yet? Was he going to Montgomery like he said? She hope to god they didn't go searching for people to feed on at AUM, her college in Montgomery. What if they ate some of her younger friends that were still there? Chloe didn't want to think about that right now, even though she wished she was with him. It would have been good for her to experience what feeding would be like…scary as hell, yes, but it would be something she must do later, so why not see? Maybe Gabrielle was right and it just wasn't safe for her to be there with him.

"You have changed him, you know" Resacra said turning around with a pile of gowns and dresses stacked in her arms. "Gabrielle…He isn't the same as he used to be. He's happier and full of life. It's because of you."

Chloe blushed and couldn't help but smile, he had changed her as well. She wasn't the same girl anymore; Gabrielle made her feel like a desirable woman and special.

"Can't say the same for Sebastian though" Resacra laughed setting the pile down beside her.

"He doesn't like me." Chloe remember the mean look he gave her when Sebastian realized she was staying tonight and knew he thought she had ruined his plans with Gabrielle.

"Well, it's not that he dislikes you…it's just it has been him and Gabrielle for well over a century and then when Gabrielle found you, you sort of…"

"Stole him" Chloe finished. "He does hate me."

Resacra came over and sat on the other side of Chloe and wrapped her arm around her shoulders. It was very cold, but Chloe had become accustomed to a vampire's temperature, like her body had adjusted to it. "He doesn't hate you; he just doesn't understand this vampire mate thing. He will come around…you'll see."

"I don't even understand this vampire mate thing" Chloe mumbled.

"Well, yes it does take some time getting used to. All the urges and emotions that come with it, but you will learn to control and accommodate these."

"I hope so. Are they easier to deal with when you are immortal?"

Resacra thought for a moment, probably back to when she was still human and then after she turned, Chloe figured. "Actually the urges grew stronger, but then again I became stronger too. It more or less balances out, but don't worry honey, it's nothing to fear. Gabrielle will take care of you. I can tell he loves you very much and there is nothing he wouldn't do for you."

"Yea except let me go with him tonight."

Resacra let her arm fall from Chloe shoulders and stared at her "What? What do you mean?"

Chloe regretted saying anything judging by the look on her face, it wasn't the right thing to do. "I just…I wanted to know what it was like to feed since I will someday become an immortal too…maybe."

"Chloe look at me" Resacra said holding Chloe's hands in her own, "I know this is a big decision for you, it was for me too, but you seeing a vampire feed will not help you decide. It will only frighten you and you must know Gabrielle probably didn't want you to go with him for a reason. He wouldn't say to us I'm sure, but I know what it's like to have a vampire mate and be human with one as well. These urges to be together never go away and they never fade. You being there with him would only distract him and with the sensations of feeding on top of him wanting you…it might not end well. In other words, you might become immortal quicker than expected or worse. Okay? So, try to understand he is only protecting you."

"Okay."

"Good! Now come on, you have a lot of dresses to try on before they get back and I want you to look beautiful for Gabrielle."

Chloe gasped "But I thought they were for you to…"

"Nope they are for you. I mean no offense but you look terrible. Your shirt is wrinkled and your pants have some grass on the bottoms, not to mention your hair is a mess. I have got to help you with this thing called fashion." Resacra and Chloe busted out laughing. Chloe was happy they were getting on, like they had the chance to be potential sisters.

"I do look rough don't I?" Chloe said glancing at herself in the mirror on the closet doors.

"Um…yep."

"Are you sure you don't mind me borrowing some clothes?"

Resacra laughed again and waved her hand like it was nothing "Borrow? Honey you can have them; I have so many clothes Laman would be thrilled to get rid of some. Besides, I've already worn all of these once. I've no more use for them; I never repeat myself."

"Wow thanks!" Chloe couldn't imagine living like that, and wondered if it would be the same when she became a vampire too. Would she have tons of money to buy a room full of clothes and never wear the same outfit twice? It did seem amazing and fairytale like, but the money wouldn't really matter as long as she and Gabrielle were together. That's all Chloe cared about, Gabrielle.

Gabrielle walked in front of Laman and Sebastian listening to them bicker like a married couple. It was beginning to grind on his nerves. They had already fed at least, from an old married couple two miles outside Wetumpka. The Stevenson's house was small with rooster and chicken cookie jars, clocks, hand towels and other sorts of knick knacks you can think of placed around in their country blue rooms. Mrs. Stevenson had been making her husband a turkey pot pie when they entered their home, scaring the poor woman to death, but it was something they had to do. At least these people had lived their lives and Mr. Stevenson had cancer anyway. He wouldn't have lasted but another year and then his wife would have died a broken heart, so it was for the best.

Gabrielle also had no intentions on making their presence known by this coven Chloe claimed was downtown, that's why they stuck to the outskirts to feed. "Will you two shut up! Chloe said they were in the warehouse next to Willy's pub."

"Are you serious? Well I'm glad Preston didn't come with us, if we're going to be where Jared was killed. I don't know if he could handle that" Laman stated catching up to Gabrielle.

They swiftly moved across the parking lot to the rear side of the warehouse undetected. Most humans wouldn't have been able to even see them as they ran; it was so quick to the eye and humans were incredibly slow. Gabrielle could hear voices coming from inside, echoing off the metal siding. Sebastian bumped Gabrielle's arm and pointed to the roof where a ledge was and windows lined across the top. Without even breaking a sweat, the three men jumped up to the ledge and hid on the sides peeking into the windows so they could see in, but couldn't be seen themselves. Gabrielle noticed most of the room was filled with crates and boxes stacked almost as high as they were, except for a large area in the middle. There were tables covered with bottles and beakers, like they were conducting scientific experiments and there were two gurneys, one with a man that appeared to be dead and another with a man tied by the wrists and ankles struggling to get free. He wasn't forming any words only groaning and yelling like a mad man. It was disturbing.

The three men ducked to the side when a woman with long golden hair and a tight black dress with matching black stiletto boots like cat woman or something walked up to the screaming man. Two other male vampires followed behind her and a human man sweating heavily. Gabrielle could hear the man's heart pounding in his chest from where he was standing it was so loud; he seemed scared out of his mind, but wasn't a victim apparently by this seductress vampire.

"Oh come now, don't be like that. It will all be over soon" the woman vampire said cooing at the screaming man on the gurney like he was an infant.

"No! No! No no no no" he screamed, thrashing back and forth trying to break the rope holding him to the gurney.

"Vanessa please, we have already tried it on five other humans and it seems to be working fine most the time…must we change this one too?" the nervous man asked, backing away when he saw the effect the question had on the woman.

"You idiot! Do you think I give a damn how many we try it on? Just do it! Or Sara will become my next test subject rather than these disgusting drunken men" she barked and watched the man wince and grab a syringe from one of the tables. She continued more speaking to the other vampires rather than the man attempting to give the thrashing human a shot "It doesn't matter, because all of the southern states will soon have our little vaccine and it will only be a matter of time before we spread to other states and then other countries. And believe me we will dominate and take back what is rightfully ours!"

The two male vampires cheered and gave each other a high five before going to help hold the screaming human down for the man to give him the "vaccine".

"I'll be back we need one more human to test before I'm satisfied." Gabrielle watched as Vanessa walked out of the warehouse and towards Willy's pub strutting in her boots and hair blowing around like a goddess. He turned to look at Laman and Sebastian whispering, "This is bad." They both nodded their heads in agreement.

AN/ sorry it has been so long since I have posted anything. It has been hectic, but hopefully I will get back into the groove considering the exciting stuff is about to start happening. Lot's of plans for rest of book and hopefully there will be plans for book II woo hoo! Yes a second Forgotten Desires, but don't know what it will be called yet. Decisions decisions...any ways get ready for some love makin and action cause its going to get crazy! Thanks for reading so far, hope you all have enjoyed. I know I have. :)


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Chloe gracefully rushed down the stairs, her feet not even touching them as she saw Gabrielle waiting for her in the living room. His smile was warm and inviting, despite his cold skin she knew would raise goose bumps over her as soon as he touched her. A flame from the lit fireplace crackled from behind where Gabrielle was standing. It was amusing and near insane to have a fire burning in the core of the hottest months, Chloe thought, but the heat from it didn't faze her. In fact, the puffs of warm smoke were almost comforting, except for the brightness of the flames causing her eyes to ache when she glanced at them. She wondered if the reason for the fire was because of how cold they kept the house or if she didn't mind it because of how close she was now standing to Gabrielle.

Chloe stared into those heavenly dark eyes that were now filling with silvery mist that so often did when he looked at her. He lifted his hand and grazed her cheek with the back. Her skin did not tingle, no goose bumps, no shivers, nothing; Gabrielle's hand wasn't cold at all. It felt warm. "How could that be?" she whispered. Chloe lifted her hand to touch his chin and rubbed the smooth warm skin and down his neck. No icy chill left her fingers burning from her journey now finding its way to the opening of his shirt. Her eyes studied his chest trying to figure out what had happened. Had he returned human again? Is this some kind of alternate reality she slipped into where Gabrielle was nothing but a mortal as she? No, he's the same. The silver mist in his eyes was proof and pale skin that could out shine the moon.

Chloe's gaze stopped on her hand pressed against his chest and her breath caught. The pale chalkiness of Gabrielle's chest was the same as her own hand. She was pale and chalky; her skin flawless and a bit tighter than she remembered like rubber. She looked down. One of Resacra's pink dresses clung to her snug and fitting, her breasts noticeably perkier than before and stomach flatter. Chloe gasped and flung her hand to her mouth muffling the small groans of horror. Gabrielle wasn't human, he wasn't mortal at all. It was she who had changed into an immortal…a vampire. But how could that be? She didn't remember letting Gabrielle bite her or the venom making her black out. What was going on? She hadn't made up her mind yet. And could she have been turned without saying goodbye to her uncle first? All these emotions bursting in her head all at once as Gabrielle leaned closer.

"Come with me. Stay with me" he spoke in a chant like tone. He repeated it over and over. "Come with me. Stay with me." It was seductive, how fake vampires speak in movies, calling to their female victims. What was going on? This wasn't how Gabrielle acted; this was wrong even though his voice had her in a trance like it was meant to. He pulled her into his arms and kissed Chloe so hard her teeth felt as if they were being shoved to the back of her throat. Even though this was all very strange, he was still intoxicating. She wanted to pull away from him, to ask how she had been turned into a vampire already, but he wouldn't allow it. His grip was so tight, tighter than Chloe had ever felt, especially from him. Gabrielle forced her lips apart with his tongue deepening their kiss further. Her groans of frustration turned to moans of satisfaction as she gave in returning the kiss.

"What are you doing?" a rough voice sounded from the kitchen doorway.

Gabrielle finally released her, shocking Chloe. Her head spun from the kiss and much transformed body felt light as if she had been dancing on air when she turned her gaze to the voice. It was her uncle, Nick.

"Oh!" she screamed and fumbled for something to say, some way to explain what was going on. "Uncle, I know this looks bad, but I have been…" she began.

"You know not to do that kind of thing in the living room. People who don't want to witness such things may see you…meaning me" he grunted, walking to the couch beside them. "And what's with the fire, Jesus it's hot!"

Chloe stopped and stared at her uncle as he smiled up at the two of them, like he hadn't been trying to hunt Gabrielle and his coven for the past few months at all; like this was a normal thing to witness _two_ vampires kissing in the living room. His pudgy cheeks were glowing from reflecting light of the fire with blood and sweat surfacing from the heat. "Well, when are we leaving?" he asked.

Gabrielle smirked with a boyish grin Chloe had never seen before, "Tomorrow. That's when Vanessa is planning her attack on our coven." Chloe's eyes widened in horror and she more began freaking out. She wanted to scream "No! You couldn't go! You'll get killed" but her voice refused to sound as the bitter taste of venom began seeping onto her taste buds. Gabrielle held her arms trying to pull her closer to comfort her, but she fought against him, her anger flailing. The room began to fade as she continued to resist him and where his hands held her turned to icy clasps. All lights vanished and the fire was gone in an instant. Chloe felt hot and sticky except for the cold chains binding her wrists and holding her to something, a wall maybe. A whisper sounded, "Chloe baby, wake up." It was faint, but grew in strength as she forced her eyes to open in slits. A familiar form was sitting next to her on the bed she had apparently fallen asleep on. The blue comforter drowning her in heat and smell of must imbedded within the sheets. Chloe realized it was Gabrielle trying to calm her thrashing arms that immediately stopped as soon as she knew what was happening.

"Hey, are you okay? You're having a nightmare I think."

Chloe forced her burning eyes to open fully and sat up, everything making sense now. "Yes, I'm fine. I must have fallen asleep waiting for you."

Gabrielle pushed her damp brunette hair behind her ears and kissed her forehead, "It's alright now. I'm here."

"Yea" she breathed, leaning into his firm shoulder. He was cold like before, a wonderful, familiar cold that meant she was still mortal with time to make sure of her decisions. A decision she knew in the end she'd make, but hesitant to enlighten Gabrielle with just yet.

And even though he didn't know it, her heart was his. Her anger from the dream told her everything she needed to know about the love and panic of losing Gabrielle she felt. If she remained a human and stayed with her uncle, she knew she could never love again. Gabrielle was the sole owner of her love, her passion, her soul. She feared, as a human, a piece of her would always be missing and she didn't know if she could bear living like that…if that was even living at all. No, she understood the consequences and wanted her decision and that was to be with Gabrielle. Now she only had to find the right time to tell him, she wanted to be with him forever.

"What was your dream about?" he asked brushing his hand over her brown hair that was matted in places.

She really didn't want to talk about it, but couldn't shake the part with her uncle sitting in the living room content despite his niece had turned into a vampire. She would be so lucky. There was one thing, "I remembered what that woman vampire's name is. It's Vanessa."

"Yes, I know."

"What?" She leaned her head up from his chest. "How do you know? I thought you went to feed in Montgomery."

He grabbed her hand and smoothed over her skin with his thumb raising goose bumps as he did. "Well, I knew how much this woman vampire was bothering you and I needed to find out what she was up to. I can tell you it doesn't look good."

"Why? What is it she's planning to do?" Chloe sat up a little straighter, tensing with worry.

"I'm not really sure exactly, but I do know this is going to start affecting the human population in Alabama and maybe even the whole South if we don't do something soon."

Her nightmare was becoming real and Chloe didn't like it one bit, but if Gabrielle had intentions to stop Vanessa then so be it. She would do what she could to help, even though her vampire abilities were lacking considerably. "Come on, we need to figure something out" she said rising from the bed.

Gabrielle snagged her wrist and pulled back to the bed, "Hold on there. When I said we, I meant the coven. Chloe, I don't want you anywhere near that place or even in Wetumpka at all."

"Oh, no. You're starting to sound like my uncle."

"Well with this Vanessa killing mortals, I think you're uncle has a point. In fact, I want you to stay here at the house from now until we can figure something out about the situation. I'll feel a lot better with you here and it will be easier to protect you."

Chloe's temper was rising. How could he expect her to just sit around and wait while he was off fighting vampires that could possibly kill him? Was he insane? "This isn't the eighteen hundreds Gabrielle. I refuse to sit at home and knit while you and the others are fighting! What if something were to happen?"

"Exactly! I'm not gonna risk you, Chloe. I'm sorry, but you're not going to Wetumpka and you're certainly not going with us to stop Vanessa."

Chloe folded her arms across her chest. She didn't care if she was being stubborn like a little kid. This was a disagreement she was not willing to let go of. Grant it, Chloe did understand his concern for her safety from the other vampires, but there was no way she could just do nothing. And not to mention her job, "What about Trenton's? I can't just abandon my kids there." She had worked hard to find that perfect job right out of college and she really didn't want to mess that up. And if she stayed at Gabrielle's house, what would her uncle do? Panic probably. He would hunt her down, thinking Gabrielle had finally snatched her away as a savory meal. "What of Nick? Huh? He's gonna try to find me."

Gabrielle nodded and focused a stern look, "You could just tell him."

"But, he doesn't even know about Vanessa and the others. He would flip out and…"

"No, I mean just tell him you're coming to stay with me for a short while."

Chloe's mouth hung open like a dead fish in astonishment, "But how can I even convince him to let me go? He will lock me in my room, bolting the door and put bars on my window."

"Easy, I'll come with you. Besides you'll need to get a few things."

Chloe had to admit she felt a little jump of excitement at the thought of staying with Gabrielle, but there was no way even with Gabrielle there, Nick would allow her to leave. "Okay, but if he attacks you don't say I didn't warn you."

"I consider myself warned." His eyes lit up and the corner of his mouth curved. She couldn't believe he was so at ease from this situation. Her uncle could hack his head off right in her living room, Chloe shuddered, and here Gabrielle was looking lighthearted. The firm planes of his face were smooth and pink tinted around his cheeks. His shiny eyes misted over even more the longer she stared at him. "You know, that dress looks amazing on you."

Chloe watched him look her over, smirking. It was a royal blue silk dress with a one shoulder strap Resacra demanded she take. Chloe hadn't dreamed of taking something so beautiful, so radiant before and not to mention it was from Chanel. Even in dim lighting it shined with every move she made. "Resacra made me wear it."

"It suits you" he said making her blush. He did always know how to make her relax. Gabrielle pulled her up off the bed and turned her in a slow circle, allowing the dress to be seen in full detail. "Beautiful, like you."

"Stop it…no I'm not."

"Yes you are" he assured her, pulling her in to his chest. Chloe lips were inches from his and she could feel his cold breath joining her warm. Her knees about buckled underneath her, as Gabrielle wrapped his arm around her waist holding her up. He was so mesmerizing; she didn't know how he could even say she was the beautiful one. He radiated beauty and yet an overpowering masculinity that made her shudder with anticipation. The way her dress was cut made a bra unnecessary and as her breasts rubbed against Gabrielle's chest; she could feel her nipples hardening. Surely he would notice, but she couldn't concentrate on anything except the electric, buzzing of sensations traveling through her arms, legs, in between her thighs and back to her breasts that were pressed firmly up against him. He lowered his head and kissed Chloe making her heart palpitate out of control. This kiss was not like his normal kisses. It was rawer, with a need. Pure desire.

Chloe had felt it once before, that time she had made out with him on top her purple comforter allowing him to explore certain parts, but even then he had been resistant. It was nothing compared to the urgency she felt in his kiss now.

Gabrielle released her still clinging to the nap of her neck and reached around the back of her dress, dragging the zipper down. Chloe froze in his arms and gulped as her dress slid down her curves to pool around her feet on the floor. It was the last thing she had expected him to do. Every time she tried or even mentioned being intimate with Gabrielle he was hesitant, fearing it would be too much for her…and now he was undressing her and staring at her like he wanted nothing more than to spend the whole night making love to her. Her almost naked body, except for her baby pink panties, tingled with chill bumps as Gabrielle pulled her back into his arms. She was confused, but couldn't resist letting him have his way. It felt good and she had wanted him for so long, there was no protesting his actions, but she wondered what brought this on. "I thought you didn't want to…you know…be together until I was immortal?"

"I know, but you look so irresistible tonight and my control grows thin." Gabrielle kissed her once more with soft moist lips, nudging her mouth open for him to explore and taste before trailing down her chin to her throat. The cold of his breath and mouth on her skin was invigorating as his hand journeyed from holding her back to skimming around to cup her left breast. Chloe gasped arching her back away to allow him more room as he pinched her aroused nipple between his fingers. She wouldn't be able to take much more of this if he continued stimulating her sensitive areas.

As soon as his mouth moved to suckle the hard nipple he had been teasing, Chloe did everything she could not to moan, but the sensation was too much for her. A deep groan from the back of her throat continued as Gabrielle switched to the other nipple giving it as much attention. Chloe wrapped her arms around his neck as he lifted up from her chest walking her back to the bed. He laid her down before unbuttoning his shirt adding it to the little mound of her dress. The white smooth skin of his torso was so striking it had Chloe struggling to even breathe properly. She sat up pulling at the belt of his jeans to help him out the rest of his clothes, but Gabrielle pushed her hands away laying down hovering over her. Her confusion lasted a split second until he was kissing her once again making all concentration fly out the window. Damn him for that! She couldn't even stay angry and frustrated at him; because all he had to do was kiss her and her world went topsy-turvy.

No she would make herself focus even though her stomach was doing back flips every time he touched her. "Why won't you let me take your pants off?"

His lips pressed to her throat, he only let slip a small chuckle and continued his path down to her chest once more. Sucking. Licking. Driving Chloe crazy with his caresses, all she could do was plead with him. "Gabrielle, please."

If butterflies had been churning in her stomach before, they certainly were now as his path journeyed further south resting just below her belly button. Her head fell back on the bed closing her eyes as she gripped the sheets in anticipation. Chloe couldn't think of anything else, but that Gabrielle had the most amazing tongue in the world and it was something she wasn't capable of parting with. Gabrielle hooked his fingers through the sides of her panties and slid them over her long legs tossing them to the forming pile of clothing. This was the first time Gabrielle had seen Chloe completely naked and vulnerable to him, but she wasn't nervous at all. Not like the first time she had had sex with her classmate in college; this was different, comfortable. She knew Gabrielle would never do anything to hurt her and she wanted to give herself to him completely. Bind her to him physically as well.

Gabrielle massaged her calf as he spread light kisses moving back up towards her the core of her womanhood. "I love your legs" he whispered. He kneeled before her and looked up at Chloe hovering over dangerous territory. "Will you stay here with me?"

"Yes" she huffed trying not to lose control. She would have agreed to just about anything at that point.

"Don't worry Chloe, but this may get a little overwhelming."

All she could do was nod and with a feeble voice whisper "Okay." Her mind was racing, but she could feel the inner folds of her core moisten, craving to have him inside her. Gabrielle spread her legs further apart accommodating his shoulders and Chloe sucked in air as his fingers penetrated, stroking her gently at first then slowing picking up speed. With panting breaths, she bucked her hips rhythmically with his fingers; a powerful surge of pleasure on the verge of escalading out of control. Gabrielle smiled while his eyes misted over even further, like a foggy summer night. He dipped his head burying into her scent causing Chloe to tremble and gasp as he caressed her with his tongue. God, Chloe didn't know what to think. All she felt was seizing pleasure pulsing through her body, up and down her limbs, over her arching chest and back to her female center. It was the most amazing thing she had ever felt before in her life and couldn't imagine anything better. Her eyes widened with surprise when Gabrielle began panting with her circling his tongue over her clitoris faster than any human ever could. It wasn't possible, yet he had Chloe tipping over the edge of insanity as her orgasm began to climax. Her eyes watered and every muscle in her body clenched. Chloe cried out as her body spasmed and jolted from so much pleasure. That's when everything went pitch black. That was the last thing she remembered. What a memory?


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

When Chloe opened her eyes, she noticed three things. One was she was naked under the covers in the blue room. The second was her body was tingling all over, but in a good way. And third, Gabrielle was laying next to her on top the sheets with his arms propping his head up and his eyes closed. His jeans were still on as before with his feet crossed at the ankles, looking totally relaxed and maybe even a little smug. Even though she knew he wasn't asleep, because vampires don't sleep, she wanted to make sure.

Chloe leaned over to get a better look at him. Just as she did, his grin widened, he popped his eyes open and pulled her down to smack a kiss on her lips. "Oh!" she puffed, surprised when Gabrielle tugged her up in his arms. She rested her head on his left shoulder and sighed as the feel of his cold body against hers through the sheet, recalling some of the sensations she had felt before. It was nice.

"How long was I out?" Chloe asked.

"Not long, about an hour. You passed out because it was too much for your mind to wrap around. Laman said that might happen."

"I'll say it was too much."

She couldn't get over how overwhelmingly wonderful it had been with Gabrielle and he hadn't even actually been inside her. They definitely had made love, but it wasn't technically intercourse. Oh, God! Her faced paled as she realized that Gabrielle had spent the whole time pleasuring her, but not at all had she done anything for Gabrielle. What kind of a partner was she? He must be upset with her…although she had tried to take his clothes off, but he wouldn't let her. Oh, no. She was a horrible person and Gabrielle would probably never want to be with her again.

"What's wrong? Did you not enjoy yourself?" he asked, confused by the look of horror on her face.

"Oh gosh yes! I enjoyed myself very much…but that's just it. You spent the whole time pleasuring me while I did nothing for you. I'm so stupid…"

Gabrielle covered her mouth with his hand and soothed her, "Listen; there is no need for all this fuss. I had an orgasm as well…don't you remember me saying that vampire mate's share pleasure. I was feeling everything you were feeling. Don't worry, Chloe, I'm just as satisfied as you are."

"Really?"

"Yes, now relax and lie here a moment with me."

She didn't argue because there wasn't any other place at that moment she wanted to be. But there was something bugging her she had to ask. "Gabrielle?"

"Yeah" he turned his head towards her.

"Why didn't you warn me about that tongue thing?" Her face blushed, but she was curious.

He laughed and caressed her jaw line. "Oh honey, did you like it?"

"Yes…I loved it." She couldn't stop blushing, but she didn't care about the embarrassment. His tongue had made her feel more than she had ever felt in her life and she wanted desperately to know what it would feel like with Gabrielle really inside her. Her pulse quickened as she leaned over kissing and sucking the side of his pale neck. Chloe could feel she was ready for more and she was dying to have him for real, inside her this time. The covers flung off of her as she rolled herself up on top of Gabrielle, straddling his hips.

The look on his face was pure shock as he peered up Chloe's nude body. He seized her hips and pulled her back down beside him on the covers. "We can't do this right now, Chloe."

"Why not? I want to be with you Gabrielle."

"I know. I want to be with you too, but we have to go to your uncle's. It's really late as it is."

"But…" she huffed. "Okay." She knew he was right; they did need to go and get some of her things if she was going to stay with him awhile. And not to mention tell her uncle, which she was dreading. Chloe had realized when Gabrielle was driving her crazy with his kisses, he had managed to trick her to stay, but she probably would have agreed to it anyways, eventually. But she would not give up the fight for her job. There was no way he could keep her from going. Well, okay maybe he physically could, but she still had to try. Chloe would wait to bring that up later, after seeing her uncle and the fact that Gabrielle had weaseled his way out of making love to her (again). He wouldn't get away with this, she'd see to that.

Gabrielle could practically smell her arousal and it was painful for even him to ignore his own need he could feel bulging beneath Chloe's pelvis, where she had abruptly gotten up to straddle him. He had not been prepared for her actions, but there wasn't enough time for that. Or at least that's what he told himself. In truth Gabrielle was desperate to have Chloe stay where he could protect her and it seemed the only way was to show her what it could be like if she did. What they could share. He wanted to be inside her as much as she did, but he had gone too far. This would be too dangerous for Chloe as a mortal and Gabrielle had been prepared to wait until she agreed to become like him, if that was what she wanted. He had acted foolish and it would cost him later. He shouldn't have lost control the way he did, but after he saw that blue dress on Chloe, there was no turning back. And thank heavens Chloe had passed out from the pleasure, it had given him time to cool down and collect himself. Of course, it was difficult with the most beautiful creature lying naked next to him for him to concentrate on anything but, but he would gather what little strength remained and use it to do what needed to be done. And that was to protect Chloe, by keeping her out of harm's way. First thing, was to tell her uncle of her whereabouts. This wasn't going to be easy and Gabrielle was even expecting a possible brawl, but no human or vampire was going to stand in his way of protecting this woman.

Gabrielle pulled Chloe off the bed and snatched up the pile of clothes from the floor, handing her what was hers and at non human pace, quickly buttoned up his own shirt. He watched as she managed to replace her cute pink panties that made him smirk and then slide back into the notorious blue dress. That wouldn't do at all. He would be distracted the whole time if she were to wear that home. "Um…Chloe? Will you find something less formal to wear to your uncle's, please?"

Chloe had been trying to zip up what she could of the dress, when she sent Gabrielle a puzzling look. "What's wrong with this?"

"I don't know if I will be able to stop myself from attacking you if you don't," he proclaimed flashing over to her side, kissing with gentility across the collar bone that was strapless.

"Oh" she said understanding. "I'll go see if Resacra has something a little less form fitting," Chloe smiled stepping outside the door.

Gabrielle stood very close next to Chloe, who thankfully happened to be wearing jeans and a white v-neck shirt now, feeling very protective as Nick's pale face studied his niece and one of his enemies standing in his own living room. Gabrielle didn't blame Nick for being unnerved or even furious. He had expected as much, but he feared more for Chloe than himself. He knew Nick loved his niece very much, but there was no telling what a man would do driven to extreme circumstances. Gabrielle would have spoken first if not for Nick beating him to the punch.

"I suspected as much Chloe Reeves. I knew you weren't hanging with friends or going out with co-workers. It had been this demon from the beginning…ever since you got here and this mess in Wetumpka started when that other vampire had kidnapped you."

Chloe started to move forward, but Gabrielle placed his palm on her warm forearm, stopping her. He wasn't sure, but her uncle seemed to be at his wits end and as though he was going to explode at any second. Gabrielle didn't want her anywhere near him when he did. He hadn't forgotten the last time Nick had lost himself in this very living room. Of course alcohol had been a factor, but that was no excuse grabbing Chloe the way he had, accusing her of being attacked by vampires.

"Uncle Nick, you don't understand what's going on here. Let me explain…"

"Understand?" Nick's face went bright red and the rage boiled just below the surface of his self control. Gabrielle could sense the foul stink of the man's blind hatred and heard the blood pumping faster as his temper rose even further. This was not how Chloe should have approached him. "I understand perfectly! This demon has tricked you into falling for him and sucked you into his treachery as a helpless victim. I've seen it done before and I'm not going to stand by any longer and watch you take what's left of my family from me!" Nick directed at Gabrielle.

"I do not blame you for your hatred and rage, but this is not the same situation as it was with your wife and child. I have no intentions of harming Chloe…ever."

"Bullshit! The moment she's firmly in your grasp, you'll sink your teeth in her and suck every last drop of innocent youth she has. I can't let you do this." He had an almost look of desperation in his eyes that made Gabrielle pity him. He did understand what it was to have one's family forcefully taken from them and left alone with nothing…no one.

"I'm not holding Chloe against her will. She is free to leave me whenever she so chooses."

Nick moved his gaze to Chloe as if questioning Gabrielle's words. "It's true Uncle. I don't have to stay with Gabrielle if I don't want to, but I do Uncle Nick. That's what I'm tryin to tell you. I want to be with him. I love him…" Gabrielle nudged Chloe from saying too much. He didn't want her pushing him over the edge. There were fumes of wrath stimulating the atmosphere around them. It was so thick like honey; Gabrielle could feel it as he filled his lungs. He had to focus his attention on the matter at hand. Nick.

"Sir, I want you to know…despite the fact I am a vampire, Chloe means more to me than I could ever explain. She is my reason for existing and I would never let harm come to her, which is another reason why we have come to you today. The reason I'm taking Chloe to stay with me…"

Gabrielle could see the confusion brewing behind Nick's eyes as he flicked them back and forth between Chloe and himself like a ventriloquist dummy. This had to be overwhelming for the man. Only Nick's confusion began transforming into accusations, "What's going on?" he barked.

"I have no desire to include you in my precautions with your niece, but I feel you deserve a blunt explanation of the situation. There are vampires currently plotting to take over the southern states. And I want to make sure Chloe is safe from any danger."

"What?" Nick yelled. "No, no way! Chloe, you are staying here with me and I'm never letting you out of my sight from now on."

"I can assure you, she will be much safer with me" Gabrielle spoke calmly. "I understand you have experience in dealing with vampires, but you do not have the speed and strength as my kinsmen and me to fully protect her."

Nick narrowed his eyes and marched over to Chloe's side not once looking away from Gabrielle, snatching her wrist to drag her away from him. Big mistake. Gabrielle leapt towards them releasing Chloe and placing over onto the couch, before Nick could even process that he had moved to begin with. Nick's mouth hung open in shock, "How dare you! She is my family and I say she stays with me."

"Don't you see? A vampire could snatch her away before you even knew what was happening. And I'm trying to protect her, think of a vampire who wanted to kill her. Please, you must understand this is what's best for her. I can protect her far better than you and your men. On my word, she will remain safe."

"No, your word means dick to me! She's staying here." His confidence was shaking. Either Nick was realizing he really had no choice in the matter, or that Gabrielle was right. Either way, he knew Nick would give in to his ways.

"What do you think, Chloe?" Gabrielle had been standing beside the couch as Chloe sat there nervously watching the two of them argue over her safety. He tucked his hand under her arm to aid her off the couch. Before walking over to her uncle, Chloe squeezed his hand assuring him of her decision. "Uncle Nick, I know how this must all seem to you, but you've got to trust me when I say Gabrielle and his coven _will_ protect me. So, believe me, I will be fine. I love you very much…you're all I've got to remember, but I'm going with Gabrielle." She leaned around to kiss his cheek. It wasn't like how Chloe had to stretch up to kiss Gabrielle; Nick was much shorter in comparison. Gabrielle saw the water building in Nick's eyes as she leaned back to smile at him. He was giving in.

"I love you too," he whispered. "Please come back to me."

"I promise, Uncle Nick."

And that was that. Nick had given her up. Gabrielle had known it was going to be a struggle, but he half expected an actual, physical struggle. Grateful there hadn't been, he waited as Chloe gathered up some clothes and a few personal belongings before heading back to the house. This was going to take a little time, conjuring up a plan against Vanessa. They needed more facts about what was really going on. There were still some unclear issues concerning what exactly she was planning to do with this vaccine and how it would affect the humans in Alabama and unfortunately the South.


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

"You know I'm not comfortable leaving you here," Gabrielle said wrapping his arm around Chloe's waist pulling her close.

"Yes, I know, but you promised me last night I could go to work like a normal human being. I still have obligations and I will not ignore them just because I am in love with a vampire."

"So you do love me?"

Chloe exhaled leaning her forehead on to his, a chill running through her from the contact of his icy skin, despite how hot it was standing in the parking lot at Trenton's. "Of course I love you. Isn't it obvious?" She kissed his solid lips gently, grazing back and forth before pressing firmly, parting them. He tasted so sweet. She couldn't imagine never kissing him again. It almost pained her to think about it. The steady beat in her chest picked up as she realized what this meant. There was no way she could ever live without Gabrielle and that would mean she had made her decision. "Gabrielle…" she began.

"Hmm?" he sounded, moving his lips from the crest of her lips across to the base of her ear. It was making it hard for Chloe to concentrate, but she managed.

"I want you to turn me."

He tensed for a moment, like a man does when they've been told their lover is pregnant and the unsuspecting wife is coming home early. "Chloe, you know that is the one thing that would make me complete in every crevice of my being, but I don't want you to rush into this. Once you've been turned, there is no going back. Do you understand?"

Chloe held a confident grin, "I've made my choice, Gabrielle Alexander and I can't live without you."

"Oooh," he sighed. "Neither can I, but we don't have to do it right away." He kissed her once more before releasing her from his clasp. "And it's one of the main reasons I do not want to leave you here unprotected."

Chloe rolled her eyes and settled her weight on one foot. Her hand was on her hip when she glared at him, "Don't think for one minute I'm going home with you. Vanessa will not be out and about in the sun no more than you will be. And not to mention even before the sun sets, you will be back here to pick me up. There is no danger; everything will be fine."

"It seems that way, but you can't always trust it will turn out the way you want."

"Thank you, Mr. Pessimistic," she said sarcastically. Gabrielle had to chuckle at her. He grabbed her hand trying to soothe her. "And what are you planning to do about Vanessa? We can't just wait and see what she does. It will probably be too late by then," Chloe fussed.

"Yes you're right, we can't wait. I need to return to the house and discuss this with the others some more. I believe it will be easier for us than under normal circumstances. Our attack will be unexpected on her part and she will be blind to our plan."

"Well, at least we have that, but I'm still not comfortable with you going all gung ho into the warehouse with all those scary vampires."

"You are forgetting my dear, I can be scary too." He flashed his teeth at her like cat would in a hissing fit, but kept his fangs homely in his gums.

"Um okay," Chloe spoke nonchalant, but in truth she did know he could be scary. The first time she had see Gabrielle at his house the night she had been kidnapped, she thought him scary even though he not once attacked her or showed violence. It was the pure and simple fact that he was a vampire and had a violent ambiance undertone always acknowledging its presence. He always kept it hidden whenever he was around Chloe, but she could tell it was there. It was his nature to be violent and he didn't necessarily frighten her, but the thought of what he could do was scary at times. One wrong twitch of the finger or pissing him off and he could easily harm someone like they were a Rottweiler's chew toy. Against another vampire was different and scarier all together. Chloe didn't want to think about two vamps going at it, so she didn't.

"Will you walk me to the door?" she asked. It did seem kind of juvenile to ask such a thing, but she knew it would help soothe Gabrielle's uneasy feeling about leaving Chloe here so close to the chaos surfacing in Wetumpka. He held her hand in a death grip that felt as though he had no intentions of every releasing her until they got to the glass doors where he relaxed some. Chloe noticed how alert he was to every movement and sound around them, even the small line of ants tromping through one of the parking spaces to littered box of McDonald French fries someone had left on the ground. He noticed everything. Gabrielle really needed to calm down, Chloe thought.

Chloe was about to kiss Gabrielle goodbye and walk through the doors, when Stanley, her boss, strolled out from around the corner of the building. It was really awkward, because Chloe knew he didn't smoke, or at least she didn't think he did, so there wasn't any reason for him to be outside Trenton's. She mentally shrugged and plastered a smile on her face to greet Stanley. Gabrielle was even tenser now as he studied her boss's appearance. It looked as though Stanley hadn't slept in days, his face pale white with dark circles under each puffy eye. His nose was a little red as though he'd been crying, but Chloe couldn't imagine what would make this cheerful, sweet man cry. Maybe something awful had happened to him. She wanted to find out.

He paused in front of Chloe, with his button down shirt falling out of his pants, what hair he had disheveled and one of his shoe laces had come undone. The poor guy needed help is what he needed, Chloe thought.

"Good morning Mr. Stanley. Are you alright?" Chloe asked concern on her face.

"I'm fine," he barked tucking his shirt back into his brown slacks. "Who is this?"

"Oh, this is…" she began, but Gabrielle spoke before she could finish introducing him.

"My name is Gabrielle Lancaster, pleased to meet you."

Chloe shot him a confused look, but figured he'd explain the name change later. Maybe it was to keep his real identity secret so no one could look him up and see he should have been dead over a century ago. She wondered if they even had documents about Gabrielle or what she would find on him.

"Hmm likewise," Stanley grunted. Both men looked each other over like they were examining for weaknesses. Did Stanley sense Gabrielle was different or was it just a dominant male thing? This was getting awkward, she thought.

Gabrielle turned to face Chloe, kissed her cheek and asked her to go inside. "I'll be here at five to pick you up."

Chloe was really baffled, "But…what's going on?"

"Nothing honey, I just need to speak with your boss for a minute. Now, please will you go inside? I won't keep him."

She glanced back and forth from vampire to man, man to vampire and sighed. "Okay, I'll see you this afternoon." And Chloe turned her back on her confused boss and her determined vampire.

Chloe sat at her desk picking at her nails nervously, contemplating what Gabrielle had said to her boss while the kids in her group were making macaroni pictures of their families with one of the other employees. It was towards the end of the day, but she just couldn't focus any longer and had asked if Laura could take over for her. It had only been a few minutes, like Gabrielle had said, before Stanley had marched back into the building by passing everyone, including Chloe and went directly to his office, shutting the door. He didn't look mad or anything, maybe a little frustrated, which had Chloe painstakingly curious as to what went on between them. It was almost time to leave and Gabrielle would be here in an hour, but Chloe wanted to find out what was going on with her boss.

She waited, watching the clock tick the minutes by until everyone had left to go home. All the mother's and father's had picked their children up, as they scurried to the cars holding the macaroni covered construction paper high hollering, "Look what I did today!" Laura and Melinda both had clocked out and were on their way out the door. Chloe thanked Laura again for helping her out today and waited for them to go. The glass door swung shut with a click and Chloe looked back at Stanley's office. He hadn't come out all day, which had her worried. What if something had happened to him? Maybe he's passed out on the floor or had a heart attack.

Chloe pulled away from her desk, the suspense taking control of her actions. She breathed in deep as she approached the door and paused for a minute listening for sign of movement on the other side. A few papers shuffled and a stapler snapped. At least he was alive, she thought. She knocked on the door, "Stanley?"

The sound of paper shuffling stopped. Only hearing her heart beating, she waited. He didn't come to the door. Did he think she was that dumb, like she would think he wasn't in there? Maybe he just didn't want to be bothered. _Well, hell._ Chloe had to know what was going on with him and what Gabrielle had said, so she beat on the door with more force. "Stanley, I know you're in there and I'm not leaving until you tell me what is going on!"

Finally she heard his chair roll away from his desk and he opened the door. He didn't say anything at first, his eyes piercing her with despair and fortitude. "Will you tell what's the matter?"

"Chloe..." he began, but he couldn't finish. His face drooped and it looked as though he was going to cry (again?), but then a flash of anger swept over him. He glanced back up at Chloe, but didn't really look at her. It was like she were a piece of glass and whatever was behind her was what caught his interest. He motioned for her to come inside and he quickly shut the door behind him. He went to stand behind his desk putting some space between them, which made Chloe feel a little better. Something about this situation wasn't right. Something about him wasn't right, she thought.

His desk was completely covered in paper work. Some from Trenton's and others she wasn't sure where it was from or what it was for, but she couldn't worry about that now. "What did Gabrielle say to you this morning?" Chloe was going to be blunt. No more games.

"What? Oh, he just warned me that there were some criminals in the area that I should be aware of and that I wasn't allowed to let you leave the building under any circumstances."

Chloe couldn't believe it. Well, okay she could believe Gabrielle would say something like that and in any other normal situation she would have been pissed, but this wasn't a normal situation. Vampires were out there and Gabrielle was just concerned for her safety. She could live with that, maybe. It still didn't sit well to be overprotected like a little kid and told what to do. She wasn't a little kid anymore and hadn't been for awhile.

Stanley gathered up some of the papers lying around the desk, when Chloe noticed a badge by the cup of pencils. It had his picture of that cheery man she first met when she started at Trenton's, and his name with the words Larson Medical Center in bold letters above. _What? Was he a doctor?_ She picked it up and studied the badge until Stanley snatched it from her hands. He fished all the documents into his bag, including the badge and turned to face Chloe again. "I hope you know what you've gotten yourself into with that vampire."

Chloe had to hear the words in her head again to make sure she'd heard him right. "Excuse me?"

"Don't play dumb. I know your precious Gabrielle is a vampire and you know exactly what I'm talking about. I warned you, Chloe, from the beginning you'd better be careful and what do you do?....Get fucking mixed up in all this. Well, it's too late Chloe Reeves."

She couldn't breathe. Ever since he started talking she had held her breath like maybe this was a hallucination and she could force it away by not breathing it in. "I love him and you don't understand what our situation is!"

"Ha! Love? Like vampires could ever love someone. They don't have human emotions…all they know how to do is kill for blood and sport. We are nothing but cattle to them!"

"That's not true! Vampires can feel everything humans can feel," she hollered, her face paling in fear as Stanley whipped from around his desk. He was right in her face. "I don't understand," she whispered, a knot forming in her throat. "How did you know he was a vampire?"

He studied her expression, his angry, worn eyes beating on her like they were hammers. "I know vampires." He didn't yell, but whispered it. There was more meaning behind those words than Chloe would ever be able to understand. "They have my wife…a hostage in our own home."

"Who? Is it Vanessa?"

"You know Vanessa?" he asked backing up a few feet, turning his back on Chloe.

"Yes, I know Vanessa."

"What do you know about her?"

Chloe hesitated a moment until he whirled back around and asked again with more frustration in his voice. "I know she is evil, not like Gabrielle."

"Huh…all vampires are evil. The sooner you realize that, the better, but that won't matter much longer anyways."

"What do you mean?" Chloe's legs began to shake, her knees threatening to give out on her. The way he'd said that made her realize that she could be in danger with Stanley. She never would have guessed it from him, but there was a certain desperation in him that scared her.

He ignored her question and asked his own. "What else do you know about Vanessa?"

"Well…I know she plans to do something to most of the southern states, but I don't know what _it_ is."

He furrowed his brow and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You know what she is planning to do don't you," Chloe stated.

"Yes, I do know what she plans to do. I'm the one helping her do it."

"What?" Chloe couldn't believe it. Of all the people…"Why would you help her? It's obvious you hate vampires!"

Stanley protruded towards her again grabbing both her arms, squeezing hard. Chloe knew there would be bruises if he squeezed any harder. "Hello! Weren't you listening? They have my wife! If I don't do what they say, they are going to kill her. No, not kill her mutilate her…tear into her like she were a turkey on Thanksgiving."

"Oh my god!" Chloe gasped. She tried to slip out of Stanley's grip, but he held her in place. From the horror on his face, Chloe thought it best to change the subject from his wife. "What is Vanessa planning to do?"

He dropped his grasp on her and her arms stung from the pressure of his hands. She rubbed up and down them, while he explained. "I never told you, but I am a part time nurse at night. I've always been a nurse, but the only reason I have this job at Trenton's was because I wanted to help children have happier, better lives in a world of chaos. My wife was pregnant with our first child six years ago, but the baby never made it. And we found out my wife couldn't have any more children. So, I decided if I couldn't have children of my own, I would help other children." That was the Mr. Stanley Chloe had come to know and respect, but this knew Mr. Stanley was horrifying. "I switched to night shifts at the hospital and Vanessa found out about me somehow. She waited in the parking lot one evening. I thought I had died and gone to heaven, seeing a woman so beautiful waiting to talk to me. That is until I found out she wasn't a woman and what she wanted. I refused to help her, of course, but then she told me about my wife. If I wanted her to remain in one piece I would do as she asked. I had no choice! Don't you understand? I have to do it!"

"Do what? What is it she wants you to do?"

Stanley calmed himself before beginning again. "I assume you know about vampire venom?" Chloe thought a moment. _ Had Gabrielle mentioned it?_ She couldn't think right now; she was too frightened. Stanley took her silence as a no and continued. "All vampires have venom in their systems. It's a part of what makes them what they are. The blood of course keeps them strong and fit, but it's the venom that transforms the body. When a vampire drinks blood, the venom is released into the victim and consumes their whole body. It can only work if the human isn't drained of all blood." Chloe definitely remember Gabrielle mentioning some of this to her, but where was Stanley going with this. "Vanessa…plans to mix vampire venom with a common flu vaccine. Even a little bit can transform a human; it just takes longer to complete the transformation."

"Holy shit!" Chloe said cupping her mouth in horror. "But if she puts it in a flu vaccine…hundreds of people get shots!"

"Thousands," he corrected her.

"But why does she want to turn everyone into vampires?"

"Two words…World Domination. Vanessa thinks that vampires should be in control of the world, not humans. Her kind are tired of living in shadows, pretending they don't exist."

"Oh my god! I have to tell Gabrielle." Chloe rushed to the door and opened it a small amount, but it closed back in place. Stanley had caught her before she could leave. "Oh no you don't."

"What? Let me leave! I have to tell Gabrielle what's going on!"

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that, Chloe."

"Why not?"

"I told you, you shouldn't have gotten mixed up in all this. But I have my orders and I have no choice but to follow them."

"What?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing. There was no way she was staying here. She had to warn Gabrielle.

"Vanessa knows about your little boyfriend and his coven. She expects he will try something to stop her, but not if she has a little leverage to bargain with…you, Chloe. She wants you to use against Gabrielle and she always gets what she wants."

Chloe's eyes were wide as saucers as she finally understood the whole situation. She was going to be kidnapped…again. But this time by the real bad guys.


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

Five o'clock hadn't come quick enough. Gabrielle was eager to get back to Chloe. The coven had gone over different scenarios of confronting Vanessa over and over. They had exhausted every possibility and he was sick of hearing her name. All he wanted was to have his love in his arms again. Her warm body pressed to his, feeding his need for her humanity, frailty, emotion. He needed it, her completely and it was all he could really think about…her safe again. Gabrielle didn't even know how she'd convinced him to let her leave in the first place. _The little manipulator_, he thought.

It was fifteen after and waiting in the parking lot at Trenton's, he was beginning to worry. _What is taking her so long? _Well, he wasn't just going to stand by and not find out. Gabrielle was out of Chloe's van and to the front glass doors almost as fast as the speed of light, glancing around with his preternatural vision not wanting to be seen by other humans. Most humans were oblivious to their surroundings, worrying over every day fanatical tribulations, never noticing the explosions—not in the literal sense—right in front of their faces. He peered through the smoggy glass left from this afternoon's humidity. Nothing. Empty desks, not even the scent of a human could be sensed lingering. Something was wrong, he knew it. The taste of anger and hate of someone bombarded his senses as he rushed inside. The doors had been left unlocked and lights on, but there was no one in the building. Gabrielle already knew…Chloe was gone. The anger he sensed earlier began to build stronger as his own fused into the room. He sought out Chloe's scent in the squeaky red chair at her desk, the vending machine down the hall, but he found it most potent in her boss's office. Either Stanley knew what happened to her or he was a part of it. Gabrielle hadn't liked him the moment he saw Stanley. There was malice and despair reeking from him, coursing through his veins, oozing out his sweat pores. He would pay if he had anything to do with Chloe missing. Vanessa would too. There was no doubt in Gabrielle's mind she was behind this, she had to be.

His breath fumed and a hiss protruded from his throat as he raced back to the van. _If anything happened to her...there would be no point in living_, he decided.

Gabrielle had an idea where they had taken Chloe, but first he was going to need some help. He would swing by and tell the others to prepare immediately and gather at Willy's Pub, but not before he went to the one place he didn't care to return. Nick Dunn's. Nick deserved to know what had happened and it would be nice to have him on their side helping get Chloe back…that is if he was willing to aid a coven of vampires. Not likely. Nick, of course would be furious, but Gabrielle had never considered Chloe being kidnapped by a human. The thought not once crossed his mind and in his own idiocy, Gabrielle would never forgive himself if something happened to her. Never.

There had been no scent of other vampires at Trenton's, so it had to have been someone who had a child attending or worked with Chloe. Gabrielle didn't need to consider much thought as he knew for sure he had to be none other than her own boss, John Stanley. _Damn him! _

Gabrielle sped down the highway not caring if a cop saw him. The human police force was no match for him and he was not in the mood to put up with their futility. If they chased him so be it…his hyper senses would allow him to easily maneuver through traffic without hesitation. The police would lose his vehicle before they even could turn their sirens on. And if all else failed, Gabrielle could of course abandon the van all together and make a run for Nick's, which would have been faster to begin with, but he wanted to keep the van incase her uncle and his posse would need to be transported to Wetumpka or needed a means to carry Chloe to the hospital without carrying her and causing more to her injuries. The possibilities were endless, but at that last thought of Chloe injured had his fists molding the steering wheel to the contorts of his hand. And a sharp pain pressed against his rib cage where his heart should have been pumping had he been human. It was Chloe helping him feel again as if he were human and he be damned _twice_ if he'd lose her now.

Nick opened the door and at once was alarmed seeing Gabrielle standing before him. "What do you want? I have no other family for you to steal from me…so just go." The poor man looked devastated. His shirt was wrinkled and dirty with darkened armpit stains like he'd not done laundry in weeks and the bags under his eyes and unshaven salt and pepper beard aged him to a old man of maybe sixty-five.

"I've come for your help," Gabrielle said stopping him from shutting the door in his face.

"Help? Vampires don't need help from mortals…as you so bluntly stated."

"It's Chloe! She's in trouble. Vanessa and her coven have taken her hostage."

"What?!" Nick was furious. His breathing quickened and the pounding of Nick's blood with adrenaline was protruding to Gabrielle's ears, following into his system, jump starting the venom that seeped into his mouth. _Dammit, he needed to feed soon if he was to have strength enough for this battle._ "I thought you were supposed to be protecting her. And now she is gone? What the hell?"

"I know I'm sorry. They have a mortal working for them and I didn't expect…look either you can come with me and save your niece or increase her chances of dying by the hands of your true enemies. What say you?"

"Wetumpka?" Nick was thoughtful now and a determination not even the strongest vampire would stand in the way of. Gabrielle knew he'd help save Chloe.

"The warehouse by Willy's Pub."

He nodded his head and slammed the door in Gabrielle's face. Fair enough. He did promise to protect his niece and Gabrielle had failed him. No blame was necessary on Gabrielle's part.

It took only two minutes to get back to the house to warn the others of the situation. Resacra and Laman were looking at him in dismay, while Preston and Sebastian weren't surprised by Gabrielle's idiocy of leaving Chloe alone.

"It's your own damn fault!" Sebastian spat.

"I know. I regret my weak actions and will suffer the consequences, but you know Chloe is innocent and it is our fault for her part in this. Our existence is the cause. Please help me? Our intentions to take down Vanessa have not changed, only the timing."

"Of course we will help! Won't we Sebastian?" Resacra exclaimed turning to glare at Sebastian with his back leaning on the door facing.

He looked as though the subject under discussion was thoroughly uninteresting. "Fine, we'll go rescue your girly, but remember this in the future."

"Of course, I will never forget Sebastian for your kindness," Gabrielle sighed.

"Yeah, yeah. Enough with the kindness crap! I'm still a badass vampire, not some mushy, human whipped vamp. So just cool it." Gabrielle will always be grateful for having Sebastian as a comrade, but will never understand his need to progress entirely with human culture, especially the slang idioms used today. A vampire's secrecy relied heavily on blending in with society, but it was rare to find a vampire completely accustomed to present day mores.

Nick cursed under his breath as he slammed the phone down on the receiver. Ethan and Jake were on their way to meet him in Wetumpka bringing as much vampire mutilating artillery as possible, which consisted mostly of axes, machetes and the occasional crossbow. You couldn't kill a vampire with a crossbow, only stun them bestowing plenty of time to―under most circumstances―finish the deed out. It was much more satisfying, however, killing a vampire entirely by hacking away at their cold undead heads as they charged you. An act, not once in his life regretted or felt guilty of. That is until Chloe came home and got herself stuck in this undead mess. At first, Nick had been sure she was under some kind of spell or vampire voodoo that made her protect or forget any vampire secrets, hideouts, identities, etc that she'd witnessed. But after finding Chloe missing some nights, escaped to that creature, and confronting him with the bloodsucker in tow to his house—which he was still pissed about—made him reconsider his positioning. Chloe had never been one to trust so easily, especially after all the hell she's been through, deaths and all. But it went against everything he had learned since the death of his family years ago. Vampire hunting was not a chosen profession, nor even a known consideration to most humans, but after coming home from a long day's work at the construction site to your wife and child, neck's gouged out like lion to an antelope…there was no other choice, but to make those creatures pay. He would have never known such a creature existed if it had not been for the vampire lingering in his own home waiting for his return for, for lack of better word, "dessert". After seeing his family's bodies that night, a red haze of rage consumed him. He didn't know himself and much less remembered anything after that…only the vampire's blood dripping from the jigsaw he'd carried in that night along with other extra tools he'd planned to put in the garage. It was a house of carnage when Nick came to, the bloody bodies of his family, the decapitated long brown hair head with beady black eyes and the twitching body of the vampire splayed over the back of the cranberry leather sofa.

The aching cough, swelling throat and burning deep in his lungs was what forced him to move from the house. His house where his family would no longer be, living their peaceful, normal American lives. It wasn't until after the fire department doused the miles high flames it seemed and investigated the cause, Nick knew it was the chicken in the oven his wife had been preparing for dinner that night that was the source of the fire, but he knew good and well too it was not the cause of his families death. Apparently the fire had done its duty of disguising the vampire attacks; because the coroner had been dead set that the fire was the cause of death. Nick had thought it over and over in his mind and realized months later that the coroner must have found smoke in their lungs to truly believe this, which could only mean one thing. His wife and child must have been alive long enough to breathe in the smoke, but if they were alive before their bodies burned or not, that question he would take to hell with him. That was the one place he was positive he belong, for all the kills even though he believed all vampires to be evil, all his transgressions and worst of all, not being able to save his family. He knew if he'd have pulled them out the fire, if they'd been alive at all at the time, they would have become like the evil creature's he's hunted all these years and that was unthinkable. Even though God would forsake him, he never regretted leaving their bodies within the fire. The coroner had also told him, "they didn't suffer from the fire". From the fire yes, but from the vampire attack, hell no…and in this thought he would dedicate his life killing these demons. No matter what it took, but one thing was for sure. There was no way in hell; he would leave what little family he had left, Chloe, to the mercy of _them_. Even though a part of him wanted to trust Gabrielle and his coven, after all these years he just couldn't do it. So he called his mates for another kill. And if one of his niece's blood sucking friends got in his way of rescuing her, well tough shit. Casualties are inevitable. He would take whatever consequences were brought on, including his niece hating him for the rest of his life…as long as she was alive that didn't matter right now.

His friends, Ethan and Jake, would come through. They were understanding and loyal, knowing he would have dropped anything to help them if the situation had been reversed with one of their family members. In fact, it wouldn't have been the first time something like this had happened, but they would never leave his side. Nick grabbed his own weapons, strapped the machete to his back, and stuck a few knives, daggers and wooden stakes through his belt. He knew the stakes were cliché and not as helpful as one would think, but they were better than nothing and not to mention gave him the few seconds needed to either escape or go in for the kill, which was more than he needed dealing with these bastards.

He would have bet his soul Gabrielle considered him stupid. Like he didn't know there was another coven hiding out in Wetumpka, other than Gabrielle's own. Nick's lust for a vampire kill ran deep and he was clever, always had been even as a kid. His father used to prize him on his swift understanding of any given situation and how to handle it thereafter. Gabrielle, Sebastian and whoever the hell the other vamps were would know once and for all this was one human you didn't want to fuck with, mortal or not.

Nick snagged the light weight jacket next to the front door to conceal his weapons. The last thing he wanted was some bystander or cop catching a glimpse of them. He could just imagine the questions that would conjure up. But no cop and certainly no regular Joe was gonna stop him from saving his niece and that he intended to do…_right now_, he thought slamming the door behind him.

AN: Sorry it has been so long since ive posted anything. Life's hectic when you're finishing up schooling for good and looking for a job in this economy. But I'll try to work on the ending as much as possible. Thanks for reading...it's been fun writing this story.


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

When Chloe opened her heavy lids the first thing she saw was the large light fixtures hanging from the ceiling of some kind of drafty building. The roof was curved with rusted rafters criss-crossing above the lights. Some rope with a shredded end swung back and forth, wrapped around one at the very back or front, she couldn't tell. Everything she saw was basically upside down as if she could walk around on the ceiling, the view something a child might see sitting backwards with their little feet in the air and their head resting on the carpet. Of course it would take two seconds for the mother to notice and order them to "get their feet off the couch, now!" before they would flip their little sneakers over their head in a sort of backwards roll. But Chloe wasn't exactly upside down, more along the lines of sitting awkwardly—probably from the rope tying her hands together behind her back―in an uncomfortable metal chair with her head leaning almost all the way over it.

Obviously she had been knocked out, how she didn't know, but by whom, she had a pretty good idea and it pissed her off royally. _That bastard_, she grunted.

"Ah, coming around I see. About time too. So, tell me where your vampire and his weak little coven are hiding…hmm?" a woman's voice echoed around the thin metal walls of the building. Boxes were stacked everywhere at least two or three feet above the woman's head. Some tables with chemistry looking beakers and bottles were covering every surface, except two flat silver tables to the right. No not tables, gurneys, she thought. One had a completely naked male body that appeared to be dead on it and the other cleared off. For what, Chloe didn't want to find out. She tried moving her head from side to side and realized as the sharp pain pierced her right cheek bone, someone had hit her and hard. Stanley. She would get him back for that.

The woman standing in front of her had a grim smile slide across her face, it—well she―seemed slimy and evil. You could see it in her eyes; the way her expression revealed her distaste for creatures she deemed lower than she, who Chloe guessed was pretty much, everyone. Her red sweater clung to her pale skin, making her smooth feminine curves well defined and black sleek leather molding to her hips and thighs in a skirt with matching high heel boots. She looked powerful, the blond flowing hair behind her reaching her waist. Chloe would have thought her as beautiful as Botticelli's _Venus_ had it not been for the hatred burning in her coal eyes as she stared down at Chloe.

Chloe kept her mouth clamped shut. She didn't know what to say. Gabrielle would come for her soon, if she could just hold it together until then. After finding her missing at Trenton's, Gabrielle must have panicked and went into a frenzy trying to find her. Chloe had faith though he would know she was being held against her will by Vanessa, and he would come for her shortly. It would be wise to bring help. The coven would come with him for sure. It wasn't like they hadn't already planned an attempt to take Vanessa down; it would just have to be now instead of when they originally thought. Yes, Gabrielle would be here any minute…Chloe would just have to bear being with these evil vampires until then.

It wasn't until the searing pain on the left cheek started stinging that she realized Vanessa had slapped her across the face. Hard.

Chloe wanted to massage her skin until the sharp sting rubbed away, but her hands remained tied behind her back.

"You answer me, you little bitch, when I'm speaking to you!" Vanessa hissed at her.

Chloe was furious. "I have no idea what you are talking about. Vampires are make-believe you twat" she said with finality.

Vanessa's expression switched from anger to humor in a split second. Her eyes danced with laughter as her plump lips quirked on the sides and she moved closer to stand in front of Chloe's chair. "Is that what you're sticking with?" she flashed her bright perfect teeth in a quick smile and bent down leveling with Chloe. "If you want to play that game, I'll be ecstatic to oblige." She stood back up hovering like an tropical storm on the tip of Florida and raised her left hand snapping her fingers.

Two large male "vampires", Chloe noticed and cringed, hustled over towards her and began untying her hands. One had blonde hair like Vanessa's only it was sandier in color and he was extremely buff, almost like a linebacker and the other vampire was mocha skinned, lean and stretched taller than even Gabrielle it looked. Their hands were ice on Chloe's skin as they squeezed her arms, dragging her over towards the body lying on one of the gurneys. Her head spun and lights danced around from being knocked around in the head too many times. If it hadn't been for the two vampires holding her up she wouldn't have been able to stand on her own.

They picked her up and dropped her onto the empty gurney like her weight was nothing more than a rag doll to them and began tying her arms and legs down to the metal legs on it instead. Chloe kicked and struggled, but obviously they were too strong for her. It was wasted energy. Her heart began to race as she wondered what they planned to do with her. Was she going to end up like the man next to her, cold and _dead_? Chloe prayed that wasn't the case. God, where was Gabrielle? She wanted to scream his name, but bit her tongue to resist the urge. She had to be strong, if not for herself, for Gabrielle.

Vanessa floated over like a goddess on clouds except for the clicking of her boots on the concrete and stood beside Chloe, laughing. "Oh you are such a pathetic human, but don't worry my beauty, we'll change that soon."

_Change what? Me to a vampire or a corpse? _Chloe cringed on the inside, but she refused to give Vanessa the satisfaction of seeing her fear. _Gabrielle, please hurry!_

_oo_

Nick stomped on the gas pedal as soon as Ethan and Jake had shut the passenger door to his red Chevy. He had no idea if that vampire and his coven had reached Chloe yet, but he didn't have time to wait. His niece was in grave danger and damn it, he meant to get her back. And this time, he would keep Chloe out of danger from now on. No more vampires. After this he was finished. One thing Chloe had been right about, which really steamed his clams, was that it was Nick preventing his family from resting in peace because of his grudge towards these bloodsuckers. He had been holding on to avenging his wife and child's deaths for so long that he was tainting their memory. Nick would say goodbye to them one last time and give up hunting vampires. He was much older and just downright tired. He wanted to retire and do what normal men his age did…fish, hunt (deer), plant vegetables, read the newspaper, take naps in his big leather recliner. Damn it, after all this, he deserved a permanent vacation and that was exactly what he intended to have once he rescued his niece. And he had no intentions on allowing Chloe to be with that vampire either. He would drag her with him. There was no way he would be able to retire knowing she was still subjected to this evil clandestine world.

Nick was no idiot though. He knew that was easier said than done. Obviously, Chloe was in love with—_what was his name?—_Gabrielle. It was horse shit, is what it was! You can't fall in love with something that had been dead for a hundred years or so…_could you?_ The question irked at him as he sped to Wetumpka. Nick had been in love a few times himself and new it was irrational. Usually the less things made sense, the deeper the love was. Ah, hell. Chloe did love him and Nick had no doubts now. Chloe loved the son of a bitch bloodsucker. Well, what was he going to do now?

Ethan and Jake continually glanced towards him, worry apparent on their faces. They knew what Nick must have been feeling, except for the whole romance thing going on. That was new to the guys too. Of course there was the occasional human obsession with vampires they've had to deal with before, but love? That was something else entirely.

Nick tried to focus on the situation at hand, getting Chloe back in one piece. "Should we park down the street and sneak in the back…or just pull up front and barge in?" Ethan asked reaching for his shotgun and ax. They were only two minutes away, but Nick didn't know what to do. He was too desperate to just have his niece back. "It doesn't matter let's just get in there" he said through gritted teeth. The knuckles on the steering wheel were white with gripped tension. Ethan turned to Jake and nodded, "Barging in it is."

oo

Chloe grunted and moaned doing her best not to scream as the mocha skinned vampire had her bare shoulders locked in place to the metal table and the linebacker flicked another hard whack across her stomach with a belt he'd pulled off from around his own waist. Knots and welts were already forming over Chloe's skin with even a few small streaks of blood running down her sides. They had taken her shirt off to ensure maximum penetration. The pain wasn't unbearable, but she wished with everything inside her it would stop. Or at least give her a break for a little while to let it subside. Vanessa ran her chalky fingers through Chloe's dark brown hair in an almost comforting gesture. Chloe didn't know what was scarier, Vanessa being a hard ass bitch or acting like a nurturing mother concerned for her child.

"This can stop whenever you like, my beauty. Just tell us where your coven is hiding. I know they're nearby" Vanessa whispered.

Chloe managed to respond despite how much pain she was in, "Go to hell," she groaned out. Vanessa tipped her head to the linebacker look-a-like and smoothed Chloe's hair back from her face, "As you wish, my beauty", and walked off.

The linebacker grinned and let the belt hang behind him as he prepared to swing it again, his muscles flexing as he lunged forward. Chloe shut her eyes and braced for the sharp sting that would follow; the smack on flesh was loud, but the pain never came. _What the hell? _Chloe opened her eyes and saw Mr. Stanley bent over her with his jaw clamped shut. He'd jumped in front of her, blocking the blow. _Why? _

"You know better than to interfere, human" the linebacker grumbled.

"I can't let you do this! Vanessa knows the coven will come for her. There is no reason for this violence" Mr. Stanley said with a shaking voice.

"Oh? There is always reason for violence," he smirked.

Mr. Stanley snarled and hurled himself towards the vampire. "You will not hurt Chloe or my wife!" The vampire holding Chloe's shoulders kept his grip on her and laughed at the situation. The linebacker caught Mr. Stanley and flipped him over his broad shoulder and whipped around on top of him so fast, Chloe barely noticed the action. If it hadn't been for Gabrielle moving at that speed around her so much, she would have never even been aware of the vampire's stir in the first place.

The linebacker snarled at Mr. Stanley and welcomed his growing canines. He dipped his head down to bite the man shaking under him, but Vanessa was faster. "Not yet, Vincent! His time will come. We may still need him."

Mr. Stanley scooted out from under the linebacker's stance and balled himself between two towers of boxes where he shook with fright. The circles under the man's eyes were darker than ever and a sheen of sweat glistened on his forehead. He coward back squeezing his knees to his chest as the linebacker approached him, "Soon my friend. Soon."

It was so eerie; the inevitability of Mr. Stanley's fate was almost too much for even Chloe. She empathized, knowing her time was soon too if Gabrielle didn't get here quick to save them. Her eyes had managed to quit watering and as for the pulsing of pain on her chest and abdomen, it remained, but not nearly as potent.

Vanessa strolled up to the linebacker and wrapped her delicate looking hand over his shoulder, "Vincent, be a dear and get a vile."

Chloe stiffened. Was that the flu shot with venom Mr. Stanley had told her about? And was it for Mr. Stanley or her? Damn it, Chloe knew the answer to that…it was for her. They still needed Mr. Stanley, but she was disposable. Or they planned on changing her into a vampire to piss Gabrielle off. Chloe thought about that a second. It really wouldn't matter if she were turned, that's what she had wanted in the first place so she could live out eternity with Gabrielle. She relaxed a bit. She would have much preferred having Gabrielle with her for the turn, but she would endure what she must.

Vanessa spun around, her radiant hair following after and walked back over to Chloe. "I'm sorry for all the drama, but you see, you must know your place if you're to stay with us. Or should I say…if you're to live through the change." An evil giggle escaped her lips and her coal eyes sparked with pleasure.

"What do you mean?" Chloe became tense again.

Vanessa pointed a chalky finger towards the dead man to Chloe's right and grinned, "Not all make it. For some reason, the flu vaccine and the venom are just too much for your human, frail systems all at once. The body is overwhelmed and shuts down like it would normally with venom, but the human doesn't come back." She shrugged like it was no big deal. Bitch. "We have tried a variety of different proportions and discovered it really doesn't matter how much venom there is or how much vaccine; a human will either die or not. It depends on how strong the human is. The less medical problems the better."

Chloe didn't think there was anything wrong with her, so her chances of coming out of this alive or as a vampire were good. She hoped.

The one called Vincent returned with a vile and a long rubber hose thing doctors use to tie around a patients arm to make their veins pop out. Chloe grimaced as he whipped it under her arm, tying it around. She noticed his fangs had receded back into his gums as he smiled at her, flicking the vile in preparation. He would have been extremely attractive had it not been for the uncaring violence he had previously shown Chloe.

The pinch from the needle felt like nothing more than a little prick on the thumb in comparison to her stomach. The focus on Vincent's face turned towards the side door as it was kicked in. Relief flooded Chloe, _Gabrielle was finally here_. He dashed away leaving the vile hanging from Chloe's arm. _Had he injected her yet?_ Chloe glanced down and saw it was still full with the milky liquid. She relieved a sigh.

Chloe realized the other vampire had gone to help as well leaving her free to move around as much as was possible. First thing, she wanted to get the vile out of her arm, just in case any seeped in. She knew it wouldn't take much to do its job. Chloe wiggled her elbow back and forth, the rope on her wrist rubbing her skin raw. She couldn't care less as long as it was out of her. The vile clanked against the concrete and a small bubble of blood peaked out from the tiny hole in her arm. The bindings groaned and creaked as she began tugging on the ropes hoping to pull free of them.

A crash of boxes skidding across the floor bellowed around the room. It wasn't Gabrielle fighting with the vampires like Chloe had thought, it was her uncle. _No!_ She didn't want her uncle here, getting himself killed. She had hoped he wouldn't have found out about her predicament. Damn it, she had to do something to help. The ropes cried in protest of her thrashings, but Chloe would not give up. Somehow she would break loose and distract the vampires. After all, it was her they wanted to use to get to Gabrielle. Uncle Nick had nothing to do with it.

She had managed to squish her hand into an odd shape and slide it out from its hold, scrapping it. The raw skin was tomato red and burned like a son of a bitch, but Chloe could now get to the other ropes and free herself.

Ethan and Jake had Vincent by both arms, while Nick swung towards his head with the machete. He missed as Vincent tossed one man across the room and then the other watching him plow into another stack of boxes. Chloe jumped up and ran towards him, screaming with rage. The other male vampire with mocha skin caught her from behind and held her with his forearm squeezing Chloe's throat. Nick turned towards them, yelling as he rushed over, "No! Let her go, you bastard!"

The vampire holding Chloe laughed and backed away practically dragging her by the throat. Vincent came behind Nick and clunked him over the head. Nick fell to his knees as his eyes rolled in the back of his head and he went down. Vanessa had Ethan by the throat, holding him against the wall. He was stunned and sagging into the metal, barely conscious. Vincent had gone back to Jake, a puddle on the floor and held him there with his brown boot on the man's chest.

Chloe wanted to cry. They were in no better position and now her uncle and his friends were going to be killed. They should have known better, Chloe thought. This was over their heads and now they were drowning in their own stupidity, but she did have to give her uncle some credit. She would have just as easily walked into a death trap for him if the situation had been reversed. So, she wouldn't hold anything against him.

Vanessa back handed Ethan and he instantly hit the ground, out like a light. "This is your rescue crew? How pathetic?" Vanessa kicked the unconscious man and stepped over him like he was nothing more than a discarded pebble from her boot. The click of her heals lay heavy on Chloe's heart, knowing with each step their demise crept closer.

Vanessa glanced down at her uncle, "Well, well if it isn't the infamous vampire hunter of the south. What a pleasant surprise," she turned Nick's head to get a better view of his face.

"Don't touch him!" Chloe yelled, wheezing in pain as her captor jerked his arm tighter around her throat. Her hands clutched his arm, pulling for some relief to no avail.

Vanessa glanced up at Chloe with a puzzled look. She reached towards the back of Nick's head and scooped up some blood from his injury on her finger. She brought it to the tip of her nose and inhaled deeply, sighing. A grin stretched over her mouth before she popped the bloody finger behind her lips and sucked it off. There were no more questions in her evil gaze anymore. "Ah, he's your uncle. Well, that makes sense now. Smells just like you too."

That hadn't been the first time she'd heard that. Sebastian had noticed that very same thing, hence the reason he'd kidnapped and taken her to Gabrielle. She would never regret meeting him. Even if Vanessa decided Chloe was a nuisance and just killed her, she would not regret any of her decisions to be with Gabrielle…ever.

Vanessa stood again and clicked her way over to Chloe and starred a moment. You could almost see the thoughts bouncing around behind her dark eyes and she whispered more to herself, "What the hell is it Gabrielle sees in you? I will never understand some vampire's fascinations with humans." She snatched Chloe's face in her hand and pierced her nails beneath Chloe's skin under her chin, examining every inch of her. "Pathetic…" Vanessa breathed, shaking her head.

She stepped back releasing Chloe's face and looked up at the tall vampire holding her to his chest. "Do what you want with her, Samuel, and kill the rest" she motioned to Vincent. "I have no more desire to change her. Besides it will be easier to break Gabrielle and his coven if he sees his precious Chloe dead." And with those final words, Vanessa strolled back to a small office Chloe hadn't realized was there before and shut the burnt orange door behind her.

With no hesitation, Vincent smirked at the vampire named Samuel and dipped his head down, sinking his teeth into the neck of her uncle's friend, Jake. Feasting. "No" she said, paling.

Samuel twisted her around slowly and cupped her cheek while his other arm wrapped around her waist pressing her against him. His body was lean, but firm and his mocha skin beneath his shirt so cold against hers. "Don't worry, love. This will all be over soon."

Tears filled her eyes, knowing he was right; this was it. The end of her life and she would never see her uncle or Gabrielle again. And she knew there was nothing she could do to prevent this; so Chloe didn't fight back. Instead she tilted her head to the side inviting the vampire to go ahead and bite her. As she felt his cold breath beat a chill onto her skin just above her collar bone, she closed her eyes and whispered a quiet goodbye to her love…Gabrielle.


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

"Is she dead?" a voice whispered from behind.

"Yeah, I think so," Gabrielle breathed with regret. He hated he had had to kill the young blonde girl, but there was nothing he could have done. His coven had been ambushed by about half dozen vampires all recently turned hiding just inside the woods behind Willy's Pub in Wetumpka. Gabrielle had decided to just forget the van and take a much faster route of running behind farm houses and through the trees. But just as they were almost where Chloe was being held, these vampires started falling down out of the branches, high in the trees, like raging monkeys. New to their super strength, they had not yet learned how to control themselves and it took some precious minutes, ones Chloe might not have, before they managed to take them down. It was with knowledge, experience in maneuvering and control that allowed the coven to surprise the vampires. At first, Laman and Sebastian had tried to reason with a few, but they just kept coming like their lives depended on killing his coven. Maybe so, but most of them were not much older than Chloe…just babies in his eyes, as humans and newborn vampires. They must have been, of Vanessa's doing, a batch of recently turned humans. But they had to be killed.

Gabrielle laid the girl's body next to the others and wiped the smear of blood off the side of his face where it had splattered everywhere from the older man Preston had beheaded. Their clothes had some, if not a lot, splotched on all of them from head to toe, but they didn't have time to worry whether or not any bystanders would notice. Chloe was in danger and Vanessa's pack of mind controlled vamps had slowed them down and wasted valuable time.

He nodded his head to the others, "Let's go."

They raced through the remaining trees and flew over with ease a blue Sedan parked behind the warehouse. Gabrielle could hear people yelling and things crashing into the walls, and he hoped he wasn't too late. Nick must have gotten there, before the coven and that would explain all the noise from a struggle. Laman, Preston and Sebastian leapt up to the windows like leopards and plowed through the glass to cause a distraction, while Resacra and he burst through the back door, which looked as though it had already endured the act once already, coming off its hinges entirely from the extra force.

Gabrielle held his useless breath as he saw Chloe pressed against to that son of a bitch bloodsucker about to take a chomp out of her neck. A red curtain filmed his eyes and there was no sense or reason, only destruction to the one about to harm his mate. The vampire didn't even have time to react to Gabrielle's charge; only widen his eyes in surprise as the vampire's head was ripped off his body with a loud snap of the neck bone. Even more blood drenched Gabrielle's jeans and shirt, but he was no more aware than a kid playing a Playbox or Playstation…whatever the hell those things were called that kids sat in front of for hours on end.

Chloe had stumbled backwards and fell to the floor by a stack of boxes with a medical symbol for one of the hospitals nearby, stamped on all sides as Gabrielle had lunged for the vampire. He hadn't even realized until now that he had knocked her out of the way with a little too much force, but he appeared by her side in an instant, glancing her over for any major injuries and winced at the sight of her. The flesh over her stomach and chest were badly bruising in places already and slices of blood were oozing out and down her sides as she slowly tried to sit up. Gabrielle slipped his arm behind her shoulders acting as a prop. Her breathing was hard and eyes dark with exhaustion and pain, but she appeared to be alive.

"I thought you weren't going to make it in time," Chloe confessed in a wince of hurting.

Gabrielle ground his teeth and held her close for a moment, "I almost didn't. Damn them to hell…" That last part he whispered, which Chloe might not have heard. "Are there any broken bones, internal damages?" he asked holding her out to get another look at her.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me. What about the others? My uncle? And Jake and Ethan?" It was just like Chloe to think of others and forget about how much she was suffering. One of the many things he loved about her. But Gabrielle had not even noticed the others at the time as he now looked around the room. Sebastian and Preston were moving a stout body, no doubt one of Vanessa's body guard vamps, off a human lying in a pool of blood. It appeared to be the man's own unfortunately.

"Oh god, Jake!" Chloe gasped, clamping her hand over her opened mouth. "Is he…?"

"Dead, I'm afraid," Preston said leaning over the man to get a better look.

Ethan moaned from across the room; Resacra was pressing a rag against a gaping cut on the man's chest. There was a lot of blood, but thanks to Resacra's quick actions of slowing the bleeding, he might live another day.

Gabrielle heard a cough come from behind a splay of boxes and instantly he felt Chloe crawl away from the concrete they were seated on to her uncle's side. Following her over, Gabrielle knew there was going to be more blood from the metallic, warm stench burning his nostrils, a natural beckoning he easily ignored.

Chloe cried out at the sight of her uncle, "No, Uncle Nick!" Tears streaked her cheeks as they both looked down at the man with a machete sticking up from his abdomen and globs of blood the poor man kept coughing up. He didn't have long. Two minutes, maybe less. Chloe glanced up at Gabrielle and understood.

Nick flailed his hand in the air a bit until Chloe grasped it, pressing light kisses to his dirt covered knuckles. "I'm sorry Uncle. I'm so, so sorry."

Despite the man's own weapon sticking in him, Nick raised his head and tried to brush the side of his niece's face, which he nearly missed from the violent tremors in his hand. Chloe helped him by holding it in place on her cheek. "Don't be…sorry," he said in a raspy voice. "I'm the fool…"

"No, you're not a fool, Uncle," she interrupted, her cries coming harder.

Nick managed a smile and whispered, his breaths coming faster, "I…love you…Chloe…Reeves."

She had to shut her eyes a moment before collecting herself enough to respond to him. "I love you too, Uncle Nick. Always."

Nick turned his head towards Gabrielle and began to speak. A rupture of blood stopped him from saying anything as it seeped out the sides of his mouth, but he looked back up to Gabrielle. He noticed the man's pupils were bigger and any moment he would be dead. Nick's eyes tried to roll back, but he forced himself to focus, "take care…of her," he breathed out his final breath so softly Gabrielle had almost missed it. Goodness, the man died giving Gabrielle his consent.

"Nick! Uncle Nick, no! Come back!" Chloe screamed, but it was too late. Nick's eyes finished rolling back and closed. His face was pale blue and Gabrielle could feel the minuet change in his body's temperature as he pressed two fingers at the man's neck in search of a pulse he knew wouldn't be there, but he did so for Chloe's sake. "I'm sorry honey, but he's gone."

Gabrielle pulled her into his arms, but she didn't sob like he thought she would. Chloe simply whimpered into his bloody shirt for a few minutes, then began to grow silent, which worried Gabrielle more than if she had cried her eyes out in his arms. Maybe she was in shock, he wondered. He gently rocked her a moment, whispering words of comfort he knew were not going to be much help, but he had to try. "I'm sorry my darling. Everything's going to be alright."

Laman came out of a small room at the front of the warehouse that looked like an office of some type. A grim look was set in his features and Gabrielle wondered what was wrong. Obviously the question was written on his face, because Laman walked over to explain.

"Vanessa isn't here, Gabrielle," he grimaced.

"What do you mean she isn't here?" Chloe asked lifting her head from Gabrielle's chest. "She was in that room a minute ago. I saw her walk in there."

"She must have escaped somehow. I don't know, but I do know she is not in there, or in this building for that matter."

"Dammit" Gabrielle said starting to get up while still holding on to Chloe. He heaved a sigh of disappointment and rage; he wanted Vanessa dead. She has to pay for what she's done. "Round everyone up. Tell Preston to grab the human and take him to the hospital, he's most likely going to need stitches. Preston can slip out before too many questions are asked. Ethan can say whatever he likes to the nurses when he's better. You and I will take the other two human bodies out of here. Sebastian will get the fire started. I don't want any of this mess, like the boxes and boxes of vaccine, left for Vanessa to return for later."

"What about the vampire's bodies?" Chloe whispered in a feeble voice.

"They can burn for all I care, what's left of them anyways."

Chloe cringed, but made no protest, which Gabrielle was thankful for. He wanted to scum to burn in hell. Laman nodded his head, but asked another question, "Where do we go after? To the house?"

Gabrielle shook his head, "I want Vanessa found. Resacra and Preston can protect Chloe at the house, but the rest of us are going to search for her."

"No! Please Gabrielle don't do this!" Chloe all but screamed.

"We have to stop her honey" he said tenderly.

"Then I'm coming with you."

"No, I won't let anything happen to you again. I want this over and done with."

Chloe began to cry once more, "But you don't even know where she is! She could be in Kentucky by now for all we know."

"I know where she is" a man's voice broke from behind one of the tables. It was Stanley. That little piece of shit that stole Chloe in the first place; Gabrielle had a mind to strangle him slowly. Laman seized his arm, restraining him from attacking. Stanley ducked his head back down, shaking like a little puppy. "He might be telling the truth," Laman said easing his grip on Gabrielle.

"Where do you think she is, human?" Laman asked with a dangerous and authoritative tone.

Stanley lifted himself up once more with hesitancy. He looked as though he might bolt at any second, but remained where he was. "She went to my house."

"Your house? And why would she be there?" Gabrielle huffed with exasperation.

"She has his wife captive," Chloe chimed in, feeling Resacra wrap a found blanket around her bare shoulders. She nodded her head in thanks.

"That's right. You have to help me save her! She's all I've got," Stanley whined.

"Why should we help you, when you're the one who kidnapped Chloe?" Gabrielle snapped.

Chloe squeezed his arm, "Please help him, Gabrielle. His wife is innocent and Stanley helped me. When that big vampire was…" she licked her lips and rolled her tongue over in her mouth as if the words were sour to taste like lemons, but tried again, "When he was…beating me, Stanley stopped him."

Gabrielle stood a moment with his jaw set, wishing he could have been the one to kill that son of a bitch vampire, who had the gall to touch Chloe. He ran a hand through his golden locks as he knew it was no use and began, "Alright; we'll help you. If Vanessa isn't there, however, you're on your own. It's still your fault Chloe was brought in this to begin with."

"Yes, I know," Stanley said lowering his already drooping head as Gabrielle started to move Chloe towards the front. "Thank you."

Gabrielle turned back to glance behind, "Don't thank me yet…"


	21. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

Chloe was shaking from head down to her pink dirty toenails. She couldn't remember where in the fight she had lost her shoes, but it didn't matter. Nothing mattered anymore. Every person she'd ever loved was dead now. She had no family left and was completely on her own. Her uncle, Nick, would never again hold her in his arms, would never again smell of fish and tobacco coming home from a Sunday out with the guys, or even come home after a vampire kill that he made everyone believe was a deer hunt. No, and it was all her fault. If she had listened to her uncle in the first place and stayed out of Wetumpka, he'd still be alive.

Resacra pulled her up the front steps to the house and led Chloe into the large marble living room, gently placing her down on the couch. Resacra held her shoulders and mumbled something softly in her ear, but Chloe just sat there staring off into space, not really knowing what to do. She was in pain from the beatings and the fights, but the pain of losing another loved one outweighed the physical. She didn't know if she was in shock or what, but she just didn't care anymore. The blanket wrapped around her was doing nothing for the chill running up and down her spine, despite the warm weather. The heat just wouldn't penetrate her bones long enough to get any relief. There would be no relief from this ever.

After what felt like half an hour, Resacra returned with a small pile of clothes. "A shower would make you feel a lot better, you know." Chloe didn't respond. It just wasn't in her.

"Come on, honey. I know you're upset, but you have to try…for Gabrielle? Please?" Resacra begged pulling her up from the couch.

Gabrielle. How could Chloe have forgotten about Gabrielle? Well, of course she didn't forget him. She even argued why it would have been a good idea to go with him to Stanley's house, but that was "out of the question" as far as Gabrielle was concerned. But without him around, the realization of how utterly alone she was scared her beyond anything. She needed him more now than ever.

She attempted to ask Resacra how long Gabrielle would be, but her throat was too dry and scratchy to form any words. Chloe was guided into the bathroom, stripped of the blanket and rest of her clothing and moved into the walk-in shower that poured hot, soothing water. The heat was so stark on her cold skin; steam was rising above the shower door, fogging up the mirror quickly. Resacra yelled from the other side, "I put your fresh clothes on the counter and a towel right here on the rack when you get out. I will check on you in a few minutes."

She walked to the bathroom door, but turned back before leaving, "Are you going to be alright?"

There was almost a sisterly bond between them that was continually growing stronger the more they were together. Chloe was thankful to have Resacra right now, if no one else taking care of her. If she had been on her own, Chloe probably would be sprawled on her bedroom floor, filthy, crying her eyes out by now. She cleared her throat; the warm moist air soothed the ache. "I think so," she managed to say. "Resacra?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks." Chloe tried to smile, but her mouth refused to lift.

Resacra's white pearl skin gleamed and charcoal eyes glimmered with satisfaction and concern, "Don't mention it."

Chloe listened as the doorknob clicked shut. No other words had been needed; Resacra knew how much pain she was in, emotionally and physically. She would give her the time needed to ease what little Chloe could of this mess.

Resacra had returned to check on her only once, but never hurried Chloe along to finish, which she appreciated. She had spent what felt like hours, maybe days absorbing the comforting heat of the shower jets, but the hot water was diminishing. Her fingers and toes were shriveled up like raisins on a hot day and a cool stream now poured over aching body. There was no longer any red tinge of blood to the water or brown from dirt. It ran clear, pure. She turned the water off and stepped out on a towel that had been laid at the door and grabbed the one hanging on the wall to dry off.

A quick light patting was all Chloe could stand; there was too much tender flesh for heavy pressure drying. The shower had made her feel somewhat better, but the sight of her body in the mirror startled her; an ungodly purple and red marked figure slouched. She pressed a hand to her stomach over the welts and bruises and hissed at the sharp pain for such a sensitive contact. It would take weeks for these to completely heal, she thought.

Nevertheless, she slipped into the extra clothes Resacra had dug up from her grand canyon of a closet, a navy t-shirt a couple sizes too big—must have been one of the guys—and some simple jeans that cupped the rear a little too nicely. Definitely Resacra's style jeans, on the rare occasion she would actually wear them. Most the time she preferred gowns, skirts and other various more lady-like attire.

An abrupt pound on the door surprised Chloe. Before she could fully open the door, Resacra pushed her way in. "I'm sorry to barge in, but I wanted you to know I'm leaving for a little bit."

"What's wrong? Is it Gabrielle? Has something happened to him? Did Vanessa get…" As Chloe came up for air from astonishingly finding her voice again, Resacra took advantage of the pause. "No, no it's nothing. Honestly, I'm just going to help Preston at the hospital. He's in a bit of a bind with the doctors and the police, apparently. They believe he's the culprit behind Ethan's injuries and are holding him for questioning. I'm going to have to use my powers of persuasion to get him out," she gestured by puffing out her bust area. "I just wanted to know if you were going to be okay. I won't be long."

"Oh…yeah. I'll be fine."

Resacra grabbed her hand and squeezed it to comfort. "Promise me you won't leave the house under any circumstances?"

"What if the house is on fire?"

"Chloe. You know what I mean. Don't leave."

Chloe sighed and nodded her head, "Of course I won't go anywhere."

"Alright, I will be back in half an hour at the latest." She flew out the door and down the hall with such grace; she put ballet dancers to shame. And to Chloe's realization she was now completely alone for real this time, depression settled over her as she dragged her feet across the hall to the blue bedroom, she'd first stayed in.

oo

Gabrielle was beyond frustrated. Not only was Vanessa not at Stanley's house, but neither was the two vampires keeping his wife, Sara, hostage. They had busted through the front door finding Sara sprawled on the floor unconscious. Stanley at once rushed to her side and couldn't find any bite marks, just a large knot on her forehead where she hit the coffee table. "What happened?" Stanley waited for her to become fully conscious.

"I…I don't remember. The woman and the man left I think. They got a call on their cell phone and just shoved me out the way as they left." She was shaking her head from side to side and rubbing the knot.

Stanley wrapped his arm around her waist and helped her to the floral patterned sofa. "It's alright honey. You're okay, we're okay." He looked to Gabrielle for conformation.

Gabrielle nodded his head. "I don't think they will be coming back, but you may want to take a vacation somewhere for a little while just to be safe."

"We'll pack tonight," he stated, pulling his wife to her feet and towards the stairs. "Thanks for coming. If those vampires had been here…if I had come back alone, I…"

"You're welcome. Only because you stopped them from further hurting Chloe, but don't think for one second I've forgotten how you took her to them in the first place." Gabrielle's chest still burned with fury and panic thinking of how close Chloe had come to dying today.

Stanley cringed at the glare in his eyes and was instantly aware that Gabrielle could rip him to pieces if he so chose as well as those other vampires. "I'm truly sorry for what I've done." He hurried up the stairs dragging Sara fast behind him.

Sebastian stood there starring after the two humans. Laman turned to him, "Come on Gabrielle. Let's get back to the house and join the others. We can figure out where Vanessa went from there and plan our method of action."

"I will hunt her down even if it takes centuries. That bitch will die."

"Yes, I know."

oo

Chloe couldn't sleep. Even though it was nearly midnight and after all that had happened, her eyes just wouldn't close. A flame from the small stick candle next to the bed flickered shadows over the walls and the darkness from outside the window seemed to seep in raising the hairs on the back of her neck. She wasn't alone.

Chloe sat up and saw a figure standing in the corner. "Who's there?"

"Humans. So vulnerable, so…weak. I don't know how you've managed to rule all these centuries."

Chloe froze as her heart pounded beneath her ribcage. Vanessa. "What are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious? Since Gabrielle has been so gracious as to burn all my hard work and invested time with the vaccine, I've decided to take away the most important thing in his long existence." Vanessa was grinning as she moved forward into the small light from the candle. "You, my darling."

Chloe gasped and jumped from the bed. "Now wait a minute, let's be rational about this. You know Gabrielle will eventually turn me anyways so there is no point in making me a vampire…"

"Oh, you silly human," Vanessa laughed. "I wasn't planning to turn you. I'm past all that, I'm going to kill you, feast on your blood and enjoy the small pleasure of hurting Gabrielle. And don't worry sweetheart, I'll be sure to tell your precious Gabrielle you fought bravely for a pathetic human."

Vanessa began sauntering forward, her expression fixed with malice. _Oh God, oh God. Please this can't be happening, _she thought. Chloe scanned the room for a way out. The window was open, but she knew from her first visit to Gabrielle's house there was no way she could jump out without breaking a leg or neck; Vanessa was blocking her way to the door; and the bed was too big for her to climb over to avoid the attack. But what the hell was she thinking? Vanessa was quicker, stronger and could kill her in a heartbeat anyway she moved…and would. Chloe was trapped. She felt the cold wall press against her back, but she kept her gaze on Vanessa. Whatever the woman was planning, she was right; Chloe would fight to the death.

Vanessa stood in front of her now. Chloe could feel her cold breaths beating against her face like death's beckoning. She knew this was hopeless, but she shoved Vanessa as hard as she could forcing her back a couple steps. But Vanessa retaliated by grasping her shoulders in a fierce grip and shoving her back up against the wall. Her head bounced off and a sharp throbbing began to form. Chloe thought about screaming, but she didn't know if Resacra was back or not. _Shit. What was she going to do?_ Just as Vanessa started to lean in towards Chloe's neck, she stopped and smirked. "I wondered when you were going to get here."

_Huh?_ Chloe didn't understand what she was saying. That is until she saw the wonderful sight of Gabrielle in the doorway looking as if he could murder a whole island of criminals in mere minutes. He looked dangerous.

"Get your fucking hands off her!" He walked carefully into the room keeping his gaze focused on Vanessa.

"Now why on earth would I do that? You didn't keep your grubby hands off my vaccine, now did you?" Vanessa was actually smiling, but there was a frightening hatred and viciousness radiating from her and onto Chloe. She had turned them to face Gabrielle, with her arm draped around Chloe's neck like they were old college buddies, but Vanessa's other hand was digging into her forearm.

"I will only say this one more time before I cleave every part of your body off slowly while you scream, if you do not get your hands off of Chloe."

"That sounded dangerous, didn't it sweetheart?" Vanessa turned to her and considered the situation.

Chloe managed to say something, "I think it would be wise to do as he says."

Apparently Gabrielle had known what Vanessa was thinking because he had made it to the window before she could jump out into the night and disappear. His arm wrapped around her throat as he dragged her back into the room. Gabrielle was about to twist her neck, but Vanessa managed take a chunk out of his arm releasing her once again.

Flipping around, they both crouched like panthers fighting for a female's attention, only in this case a female's life. Chloe had all the confidence in the world in Gabrielle, but Vanessa was very good at escaping dangerous situations and there was no way Chloe wanted to spend the next 70 years or longer, if Gabrielle turned her, waiting for Vanessa to come back seeking revenge.

Chloe watched from across the room as Vanessa took a swipe at Gabrielle's face, but missed from leaping back out of the way. They moved so quickly it was hard for Chloe to catch, but Gabrielle tried to get his arms around her once more, only Vanessa zipped away and then came back shoving him up in the air and landing hard onto the antique dresser that smashed to pieces underneath him. He shook himself of the debris with a renewed anger.

But as he was preparing for another attack, Sebastian ran into the room, "Gabrielle! There are two vampires downstairs that….oh." He realized what had been going on.

Gabrielle took advantage of the distraction and grabbed for Vanessa. Sebastian was by his side at once. "Hold her!" Gabrielle hollered. And that was the end for Vanessa. It was done. The only thing that remained was her soaked body lying in a pool of blood, her dripping head in Gabrielle's hands and her chilly scream that lingered in the room. Chloe bent over and vomited right there on the carpet. Not the most pleasant thing to do, but the vision of death and gore was so startling that her stomach just couldn't hold its own.

Gabrielle handed Sebastian the decapitated head and hurried over to Chloe's side. "Get rid of the body!"

Sebastian grimaced. "Yea, sure. Oh, I came up here to tell you that Vanessa's goons tried to surprise us, but we took em down."

Gabrielle wasn't paying attention. Chloe knew all he wanted was to get to her and make sure she was alright. "I'm okay."

"Come on; let's get you out of here." He led her into the bathroom to rinse out her mouth and he could clean off the blood from his hands.

"You're bite…" she whispered. Gabrielle looked down and saw the gaping hole, oozing blood. "Don't worry, it will heal quickly." He snatched a towel, dampened it with water and wrapped up his arm.

"The venom doesn't affect you?"

"I've already been turned. Mostly it just dulls the pain."

"Oh." Chloe stood there a moment, unsure what to do. With everything that had happened today, she didn't know if she could handle one more thing without passing out or just falling down dead herself. She felt like a walking zombie with no family and Gabrielle was the only thing keeping her together. He was so handsome standing there staring at her with a worried expression and yet incredibly dangerous. He was a vampire after all, but without him…there was just no reason to live. And Chloe knew if she lost him, she was as good as dead. She had to make sure that never happened. She fell into his strong cold arms and cried her eyes out. She hic-cupped, sniffed and coughed, she was crying so hard, but she managed to plea with Gabrielle, "Please turn me!"

"What? Honey, you're just upset and rightly so."

"Please, Gabrielle, do it now. I can't stand this anymore. I need to make sure you're safe."

"Darling, I'm fine. We're fine. Everything will be alright, Vanessa's gone. Come on, you need to get some sleep, you're exhausted." He guided her down the hall to his room as she sniffed, trying to get her sobs under control. She remembered there wasn't a bed, but his couch would do for now. Chloe laid down while he kneeled next to her, pulling a blanket over her. "I'll be right here. I'm not going to leave you…ever again."

Her eyes drooped. She knew he spoke the truth, he wouldn't leave her alone. And he didn't know it yet, but she would never leave him again either, whether he liked it or not.

AN/ Thanks for reading. I know it's been awhile, but things have been hectic with end of school stuff. We are almost to the end! Now that Vanessa is out of the picture, wait and stay tuned to find out if Gabrielle ever changes Chloe into a vampire.


	22. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty One

When Chloe woke the sun was shining and a heavenly smell of bacon and syrup bombarded her senses. She couldn't believe she had slept the rest of the night without waking once. And here was Gabrielle sliding over a plate of pancakes. She eyed him wearily, "I thought you weren't going to leave me?"

He smirked. "I didn't, Resacra brought it up a few minutes ago. She feels guilty for leaving you alone last night. She's been beating herself up since she'd found out what'd happened."

Chloe grimaced. It wasn't like it was her fault Vanessa had come for her last night. She would have found a way around Resacra, probably by distracting her with those other two vampires Sebastian and Laman had killed. Chloe sat up the best she could, but her stomach and chest made it difficult. She thought she had been sore yesterday? Really? Well, she felt like _hell_ today. Gabrielle helped her and placed the food in her lap. "Thanks."

"You're quite welcome. You feeling better this morning? I have to admit you sort of scared me last night. I thought I was going to have to sedate you or something." He chuckled, handing her some orange juice. Chloe didn't think it was very funny.

"Yea…about last night. I was serious you know. I want you to change me, now." She scooped up a bite of pancake and popped it into her mouth. The syrup was warm and sweet. It felt good on her empty stomach. Chloe even thought she might have a little bit more energy after this breakfast, perfect in preparing her for the change. Not to mention a delicious last breakfast to have too.

"Chloe…just think about this a minute. This is not something to rush into. It's irreversible."

"Yes, I know this thank you. Gabrielle, I have been thinking about this since the first time I came to this house, unwillingly I might add, and I've made my decision. There is nothing left for me in this world…so, I'm joining yours." She eyed him with determination, daring him to contradict her choice.

He was silent mulling over her words as if they tasted bad, but she knew he wanted her to be a vampire as much as she. It was only the fact of forfeiting her life for the sake of his needs, but this was something Chloe needed as well, if not more. "If you don't turn me, you will never see me again. I'll walk out right now and never come back."

Gabrielle dropped his shoulders and sighed in defeat. "Alright, but it's going to be done my way."

"I don't care as long as it's done now."

"Yes, I know sweetheart, but could you at least finish your breakfast before you go diving for my venom." Chloe finally laughed, but caught her breath as pained rolled over her abdomen.

Resacra knocked on the door a little while later. "Hey, how are you feeling?"

Chloe shrugged her shoulder, "I've been better."

She walked over to the couch and sat down next to Chloe with a sad expression. "Listen, I'm so sorry for leaving you last night. I would never have done that had I known…"

"Hey, hey. It's okay. I don't blame you for anything. Vanessa would have eventually gotten to me anyway. It's not your fault."

"It just took longer than expected, because I ended up having to sneak Preston out of the hospital and…" Chloe stopped her. "It's not your fault," she repeated.

Resacra lifted her head and her expression began to morph and glow with relief. "So, you aren't angry with me?"

"Of course I'm not angry. Are you crazy?" Both women erupted in relieved laughter and hugged each other. Gabrielle shook his head at the sight. "Oomph, watch the stomach."

Resacra let her go, "Oh, sorry. They didn't hurt you too badly, did they?"

"No, it's okay. But it really doesn't matter because the pain will go away after I'm turned, right Gabrielle?"

"What? You're going to change her?" Resacra stared at Gabrielle waiting for an answer. He smirked and nodded his head, "she's insisting and I can't resist her stubbornness."

"Oh my goodness! This is…amazing!" She hugged Chloe once more and jumped from the couch. "I've got to tell the others. I'm going to finally have a sister! And I won't be stuck with all you testosterone driven males for once. It gets old after awhile; them pounding on their chests like monkeys every time some minor problem comes up." Resacra beamed, heading for the door.

"We don't pound on our chests," Gabrielle retorted.

"Oh yes you do. Trust me human and vampire alike, men don't change when it comes to pounding." Chloe laughed so hard she had to hold her stomach. Resacra flipped her hair and waltzed out of the room with enthusiasm.

"I think she is more excited about me turning you than I am," Gabrielle rolled his eyes after her.

"Seriously? If you don't want me, you might want to speak up now cause after I'm turned…you're stuck with me." Gabrielle kneeled before her once more and took both her warm hands. "Of course I want you. How could you ever have a doubt about my feelings towards you?"

"I don't, but like you said this is irreversible."

Gabrielle folded her up into his arms and held her. "Chloe Reeves, you are my vampire mate. I know this deep in my soul and I will always want you from now to eternity."

"I love you Gabrielle."

He leaned down and kissed her forehead, "I love you, my darling."

oo

Chloe lay in Resacra's bed slightly shaking from nerves, but ready beyond belief for the change. She was ready to be with her mate and ready for her life to take a major turn. All her family was in heaven, Vanessa was dead and a blissful union with Gabrielle lies in her path. The only thing standing in her way of happiness was this blasted human state, which she would be rid of soon.

Gabrielle asked Resacra if they could use her bed considering Chloe really didn't want to be in the blue room so soon after what had happened to Vanessa in there. So, she was propped up on the fluffy golden comforter and about a billion gold pillows all equipped with tassels, ruffles and any other over the top decorations you could think of. That was Resacra, alright, over the top. Chloe glanced up and could see herself in the mirror above the bed, which she tried not to think about what else had been seen over the years in that particular mirror.

In the end, she had decided to wear some simple, comfortable pajamas considering she would be unconscious for a few days, but most of all she was looking forward to not being in pain every time she moved. Gabrielle had told her she would look and feel better than ever and be full of energy. Chloe was excited about that part. She had always felt so much bigger than most women her age and not as pretty. Well, the change would hopefully fix that. She laid back propping her hands behind her head and waited for Gabrielle to get back from talking with his family, that Chloe was about to join. Sebastian had wanted to speak with him a moment. She would allow him that moment, but after that it was her time to become Gabrielle's forever.

oo

Gabrielle held the bridge of his nose. "I know you don't want another vampire in our coven, but Sebastian it is not up to you to decide. This is my decision and she is my mate. How can you expect me not to turn her?"

"I just don't see what the big deal is and why you have to change her now. She's brought us nothing but trouble since she's been here." Sebastian folded his arms across, stretching the black fabric of his t-shirt over his tight muscular chest.

"I believe it was you who brought her here in the first place and Vanessa would have been a problem regardless if Chloe was here or not. Now everybody else is more than happy to have her apart of this coven except you. Even Preston is looking forward to another sister. Most likely more because he will no longer be the youngest, but none the less he is grateful to have her. Why can't you be too?"

Sebastian shook his head, "You just aren't the same vampire anymore Gabrielle. She's turned you against me." He pushed passed Gabrielle towards the front door.

Gabrielle caught his shoulder pulling him back, "Sebastian, wait. Don't be like this," but Sebastian shook him off and sped out the door. Gabrielle stood there gapping after him. After all these years, hundreds even, and all the hunts, wars, kills they'd been through together, he had not been prepared for Sebastian to not understand how much he needed Chloe.

Laman walked up and put his hand on Gabrielle's back, "Don't worry, he'll understand soon enough when he finds a mate."

"I hope so." Gabrielle chewed his lower lip.

"He will. Don't worry, he will."

oo

As soon as Chloe saw Gabrielle enter the room, her heart leapt with excitement, but the look on his face made it sink in response. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Not nothing. I can see it written all over your face. Your family doesn't want me do they?"

"Of course they do! It's just Sebastian, he..." Gabrielle didn't know how to finish.

"He doesn't want you to change me?"

Gabrielle shook his head and walked over to sit next to her on the bed, "He just doesn't understand about vampire mates. He'll be alright."

"When?" Chloe didn't want her presence to break up the coven no matter how badly she wanted to become like them.

"I don't know, but I don't want you to worry about that. It's his problem he doesn't see how wonderful you are and how much I need you. Now, are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." Chloe sat up further on the bed and waited for Gabrielle, but he didn't rush. His cold hand slid up to the buttons of her night shirt and undid the first three. Her cleavage was showing along with some major purple welts. He pressed his hand against them and Chloe gasped feeling an instant relief his chilled skin gave hers. His hand slid up over her throat as her head fell back against the golden sea of pillows. Gabrielle leaned closer staring into her eyes. She noticed his had that smoky glaze over the onyx orbs and she exhaled and relaxed in his grasp. Chloe was ready to become his, forever.

Gabrielle kissed her mouth with tender passion and moved down her chin to her throat, hovering over the artery. His cold tongue lapped at the flesh and Chloe wrapped her arms around him. "Are you sure this is what you want?" he asked one last time.

Chloe held him closer, "Yes, Gabrielle, do it. Do it now my love." He waited no longer and pressed his teeth deep inside her reaching the flowing life beneath the skin. She tasted sweet like nectar and the pleasure was instant. He could see everything that was Chloe; every memory, every moment in her life, every thought she'd ever had and she was truly his vampire mate. It was all here, her passion, her undying love for him was more than he ever could have imagined. She was beautiful and she was his.

Chloe's arms had fallen limp at her sides and Gabrielle pulled away from her sweet taste before he took too much. He wanted to make sure she had enough blood to be as strong as possible after waking and not to mention the more blood she had now the less time it would take for the change. He laid her fully down and covered her with the comforter. "Soon my love, we will be together for eternity…soon" he whispered into her ear. He watched her mouth twitch like she had tried to smile. Yes, this was what was meant to be.

oo

Two days later, Chloe finally realized where she was. In a bed. The blackness had been so long and excruciatingly frightening, but in the back of her mind she knew Gabrielle was there. She couldn't see him, she couldn't smell him and she couldn't feel his cold hand holding hers, but she knew he was there. He had promised to be there for her and that was the only thought keeping her going in the dark nothingness she'd been lost in.

At first, there had been a numbness taking over her body like Novocain everywhere as Gabrielle's teeth were pressed in her skin, which she had gotten immense pleasure from at the beginning she might add, but after awhile everything started to fade away like an old black and white film coming to a close. Her arms and legs quit working; nothing her brain told to move would obey. But she had felt Gabrielle holding her, laying her down in the bed and felt his breath tickling her ear as he whispered. From his words, the fear of what was happening dissipated and she tried to let him know she was okay by smiling, but like her arms and legs, nothing moved when she wanted it to. And after a minute even the feel of Gabrielle next to her faded. Her senses were gone and there was nothing. Just blackness. At one point she had imagined she'd died with her uncle in the warehouse and he'd gone to heaven without her. Or maybe she'd been damned to hell for loving a vampire and her hell was to be alone in the darkness for eternity, but finally small things like her sense of smell and touch returned. She could feel the material of Resacra's comforter draped over her shoulders and smell her perfume of lilac embedded into the fabric, or it could have been her laundry detergent. She didn't know or care. All that matter was it was there. And Chloe inhaled as much of it as possible. She still couldn't move, but Chloe hoped it wouldn't be long before she could do that as well.

The sound of distant voices startled her as she laid there waiting; a woman's voice that couldn't be mistaken, delicate yet forceful, Resacra. And another voice that was male and so familiar she could have picked it out in a crowd of a hundred men. Gabrielle was asking Resacra if she thought it would be a good idea to move her in preparation. But preparation for what? Chloe didn't know, but she was determined to ask as soon as she could get her dawg gone mouth to work.

The wait was beginning to annoy her and the fact she was capable of being annoyed made her excited as well considering the fogginess in her brain was becoming less and less, like a storm moving on somewhere else. Resacra yelled for Gabrielle to come over here. From how loud Resacra's voice was, Chloe figured "here" was where she was laying. She heard his footsteps as he approached her, which was kind of funny; she'd never heard his footsteps before, not when he was just walking. Come to think of it there was a lot of changes, she could smell the hibiscus outside the window from here and hear someone pacing the living room downstairs like they were worried about something or in deep contemplation. Wow this was amazing!

"What is it?" Gabrielle asked.

Resacra cooed. "I think I saw her twitch…there see she did it again. I think she's coming round."

"But it's too early. It's only been two days; hell not even two days."

"I guess you taking so little of her blood helped like you thought," Resacra exclaimed as Chloe felt a warm hand pick up her own. Warm? That's right her body was now the same temperature as theirs. Cold, she would be cold to a human, but she was just right for a vampire. Chloe managed to wiggle her fingers in the hand that held hers. "Chloe, darling, can you open your eyes for me," that sexy male voice asked.

She'd do anything for that voice. She inwardly grunted and struggled, but her eyelids were too heavy. "Give her another hour or two and she'll come around," Resacra said drifting away from her.

Another hour or two? Well, hell. Chloe had no intentions of waiting another second to see Gabrielle. She wanted to see him, touch him, taste him. He was everything to her and the only thing that had gotten her through the darkness. Like hell she was waiting any longer. She tried again and again to open her eyes. Chloe even begun to tier, but she would not give up. She rested a moment before trying again, but this time some light slipped through a crack and she caught a fuzzy glimpse of a figure sitting beside her. Gabrielle, it was him.

"Resacra! I think she's opening her eyes!"

Chloe noticed another fuzzy figure immediately beside Gabrielle. "I think you're right." Chloe tested her throat; she wanted to see if she could speak. It was scratchy, but not sore, like this was her first time using it as if she'd been born again. Well, that would be about right, she was born again into a vampire. Everything was new and overwhelming, feelings, sounds, her sight was fuzzy and voice was difficult to figure out how to work, but Chloe finally made a moaning sound before saying any actual words. Gabrielle at once leaned down, "I'm here baby, come back to me."

Chloe forced her lips to move, "Gab…rielle." She did it! She tried again. "I'm…thirs..ty." She hadn't even realized that was true until she'd said it. "I know, sweetheart, we'll get you something as soon as you are up." But Chloe knew water wouldn't quench her thirst. There was only one thing that would, blood. She wasn't sure she was ready for that yet; best do one thing at a time and now was to get out of this bed. Chloe forced her eyes the rest of the way open and it was like someone had pulled a curtain back from her sight. Everything was clear…no, beyond clear almost shining, including Gabrielle and Resacra. They both had huge grins spread across their faces like brand new parents and she was the newborn. Well, that was half true. She was thankful Gabrielle was her mate and not her father. She didn't want another authority over her, not ever. She felt strong and healthy, like she could cure cancer or world hunger. Power serge through her and she laughed. This was wonderful.

"Well, hello gorgeous!" Resacra giggled walking over and hopping onto the other side of the bed. "Glad to see you're finally coming to."

"Yea…thanks." Gabrielle held Chloe down to the bed, "Not so fast. You need to take it easy. Any quick movements can be disorienting. You aren't used to the speed vampires use to maneuver."

"Yea, yea, yea" Resacra waved a hand at him. "You're such a party pooper. Let the woman get up and test out her new limbs."

Chloe was still laying down, when she noticed her reflection above the bed. That was not Chloe Reeves. That was a goddess with flowing brunette locks and smooth, pearl like skin. She no longer had blue eyes, they were black and intimidating. She tossed the covers back and saw her equally amazing legs, hips and—she pulled up her shirt to look at the bruises, but there was none and let the shirt fall back in place—chest. Wow, she looked amazing and felt like a million bucks. Resacra continued to laugh, "It's weird isn't it. You get used to all the changes eventually, after the first hundred years."

"Here let me help you." Gabrielle lifted her up and set her down feet first on the carpet. Chloe tested her leg strength before letting him go. They were sturdy and rippling, as though she could run a marathon or two without breaking a sweat and probably could. Her entire body felt firmer, tighter and stronger. "This is fantastic!" she exclaimed and hugged Gabrielle as he swung her around.

"You look beautiful, my Chloe."

"Better than before?"

He shook his head, "You were always beautiful; you just never realized it."

"Come, we have to get some nutrients in you. The first few times you feed can be rather difficult, but Resacra and I will help you. Preston will join us as well if you like, he's still new to all this as well and he can help you through the emotions and sensations you're going to experience."

Chloe nodded her head, "I would like that very much." She pulled Gabrielle to a halt and enjoyed the feeling of being able to do that without him just responding to her wishes and stopping for her. She was the one who was strong enough to actually stop him. "I don't know if I can do this. I mean, I've never killed anyone before and…"

"Don't worry, love. I know it's a horrible thing to do even when that person isn't very good, but it's a part of life. We need to feed to survive. Let's go," he smiled pulling her towards the door. "We won't go to Wetumpka; we'll go to Montgomery where Preston's found the perfect place."

"What about my clothes?" Gabrielle's gaze was obviously suggestive. "Hey! Focus, I'm not going to Montgomery in my pajamas."

Gabrielle rubbed his chin in deliberation, "Resacra?"

"Yes?"

"Do you still have that blue dress you let Chloe borrow not too long ago?"

"Oh! That would be perfect! You would look incredible in that." Resacra dashed away to her closet in the normal vampire speed, which was crazily enough easy to follow for Chloe. Resacra was right this would take some time getting used to. She was back in seconds and held the dress up for Chloe. She looked at the dress and then turned to Gabrielle, "Don't you get any ideas."

"Wouldn't dream of it" he smirked with silver smoke glazing his black eyes. Great, now that she's his equal, a vampire; he now decides to turn into a normal male horn-dog. This was going to be a long first day.

AN/ I couldn't resist moving on with the story now. Hope you enjoyed Chloe finally, finally becoming a vampire as much as I did.


	23. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty Two

The burn of molded vegetables and rust from the corner dumpster bombarded Chloe as they approached the back alley in downtown Montgomery. Preston had mentioned on occasion he'd passed a hobo with rotting teeth and sweat pours that oozed the stench of vodka whenever he hunted in this area. "He's a hard character to miss" Preston laughed.

Chloe didn't. They were yards away, but her new senses had already begun to recognize the foul stink of the man's utilitarian use of a cardboard box, newspapers and a musty wool blanket with gaping holes as shelter. She didn't even have to see the alley to know that the old hobo wasn't there. Chloe was almost glad. Even though she was a famished vampire, the thought of sinking her teeth into a disgusting, foul man was not at all appealing. But the thought of killing some innocent, decent person was just too much for Chloe. Not that the hobo wasn't a good person, but if she had to choose between a little girl and an old hobo with nothing to live for…the hobo stood no chance. But fortunately for him his life has been spared for another night.

"What now?" Chloe asked Gabrielle and Preston. The two men glanced at one another and Preston rubbed his brow. "Well, there is this bar a few blocks over that usually has a few low life alcoholics, no one would miss."

"No. I don't want to go to a bar! For heaven sakes that's where you guys found me, remember?"

Preston smirked and cocked his head, "Not exactly. For one, Sebastian's the idiot who took you only because of who you were and secondly, you weren't a low life drunk. Not everyone who goes to bars this late at night is just out for a nice time with their friends, ya know."

Chloe rolled her eyes, "Fine, but if I think for one minute that they have a family or anything that shows me they are anything but scum, I won't do it."

"Darling, you have to get something in you. Remember what I told you about slipping into a coma? We have to hurry. There is a greater risk of you slipping away from me as a newly turned vampire. Your body is not used to the change and will need more blood before it adjusts completely." Gabrielle grabbed her hand to squeeze it in comfort and started to pull her down the street, when a small female whimper immediately cut off sounded from the end of the alleyway. Chloe could sense the soft movement of two pairs of feet. A man's and a woman's, one of her heels had come off. The hairs on Chloe's arms and the back of her neck stood on end. She knew Gabrielle and Preston had heard it too, because they both had their attention in the same direction as she. Something was wrong.

Chloe's blue dress rippled in the cool wind and her pale skin was glowing in the path of the moon's light. She held her breath without any discomfort of needing another one soon and started down the alley. The curiosity and sent of blood guided her to the two pumping hearts that were beating faster than a hummingbird's wings. Instincts kicked in. A pull in the pit of her stomach coached her forward as the remaining human blood coursing through her veins boiled in heat and excitement. Her sensitive eyesight scanned the alley end and noticed a hump of black material in the left corner, by a small orange metal door. The black hump was moving ever so slightly, up and down, as if it were breathing. Chloe didn't understand how she'd missed this before. Gabrielle was right, she was weak. But then again, he and Preston had missed it as well. Distracted would be a better description.

The black hump jerked to one side and gained control of its steadiness once again. Before she could get any closer two strong arms wrapped around her waist pulling her back and to the side. _Gabrielle_, she grunted. He and Preston leapt over the dumpster and landed directly behind the black hump, which then rose up from squatting in the corner. A grungy man dressed in black pants, faded black t-shirt and leather jacket spun around with a knife, he'd had pressed against a trembling woman's neck, squeezed in his right hand, shaking. The woman remained on the ground half beaten and tears pouring down her cheeks. Since there was no hand covering her cries any longer, the chilling sobs of the woman bounced off the surrounding bricks. This man had attacked her. Chloe fumed and a red curtain draped over her sight. No man or vampire could have stopped her she was so angry, not even Gabrielle. If there was one thing Chloe hated, it was a person who attacks another for the pure pleasure of it.

Chloe lunged forward, over the dumpster and past the trio of men, gracefully landing behind the attacker. Her arm whipped around his neck, holding him in a gag hold. Chloe turned to the woman who'd stopped crying at this point in shock of all the chaos. "Leave now," Chloe demanded. She had no time for games; she was hungry and pissed. "Go to the nearest hospital and tell them you were attacked. There was no one else, but the guy got away. He won't come back. You're safe. Do you understand?"

The woman sat up and rubbed the back of her hand over her wet nose and nodded. Her dark frizzy hair was sprouting in all directions and her mocha skin was getting paler by the second. The woman understood that they were going to kill this man, but it was for her own safety she know not the method. She hadn't seen Chloe make the jump over the men. For all she knew, Chloe had just appeared from behind the orange door or something, but the woman didn't protest as she scrambled to her feet and ran out from the dark alley. Chloe could hear her clinking of heel and soft putt of her bare foot as the woman made her way down the block. Good.

The man in Chloe's arms had stopped struggling, knowing it was no use. He was scared and confused. Chloe could tell he'd never been held back by a woman before and a surge of power coursed through her veins, giving her the adrenaline needed to perform the task at hand. Chloe felt the sour venom mix with her saliva as the canine's slipped out to sharp points. Her stomached flipped in anticipation. This was scary, but at the same time seemed so natural; she knew exactly what to do. She leaned her head to the man's right ear and whispered, "Don't worry this will be painless. I will show you a kindness you've never granted your victims. And when you're dead, may they all haunt your existence in the afterlife."

And with that, Chloe quickly snapped his chin aside and pierced the throbbing skin. The flesh yielded to her teeth effortlessly as if biting into butter. The joyous metallic warmth of blood overwhelmed and cradled every sense and part of her body until even her toes were tingling. This was the most amazing thing Chloe had ever experienced in her life. And then before she realized what was happening, another sensation overlapped the ecstasy of the taste of blood. Pictures flew into view even though her eyes were clamped shut and thoughts that were not her own were running through her mind so fast, faster than a movie reel, but she was following along with ease. Had she'd been human, this would have given her a headache and been a blur of color, but everything she was seeing, feeling, thinking, was clear. And they were not from Chloe's memories, but this man's; and as much of a thrill the sensation was, it was also unpleasant, because this human was unpleasant. Images of past victims flashed into view; raping, stabbing, bleeding images. Chloe cringed and tried to stop, but someone was there beside her, holding her to the man. She couldn't stop, but she wanted too! At first the memories had been okay, childhood, school, rock bands, and road trips; but then they got worse and worse. A lust for raping and killing innocent. Chloe couldn't stand much more of this.

Gabrielle's voice was distant, but close at the same time, if that made any sense. "Chloe, you're almost done, just hold on. You have to finish."

Yes, she had to finish him off. If she didn't this man would come back as a vampire and then be an even greater danger to the innocent. Not only raping and killing, but mutilating their bodies for blood as well. Chloe wouldn't have it. She kept drinking and drinking. Her stomach began to ache like it had had enough and the images began to slow. They ended with Chloe seeing herself jump, flying into the air and disappearing behind the man's head. She looked frightening and beautiful all at once. She felt the man's lust for her, to rape her and kill her like his other victims before, that is until she'd jumped behind him and held him back. Then it was shock and an urge to kill that diminished to fear and then hopelessness.

The body was drained of life. It slumped in Chloe's arms and she immediately let it drop to the asphalt. She stared down at the cold corpse lying next to a smashed soda can and tattered old work boot, like he was nothing more than the discarded trash surrounding him. Chloe wished she didn't have to do this. There had to be another way. Gabrielle wrapped an arm around her shoulders and slowly walked her away from the body. "I know I know," he whispered. Preston snatched up the body and ran ahead to discard of it.

Chloe lifted her head and peered at Gabrielle. "That was the most exciting and horrible thing I've ever done."

"I know, love. It will get easier. I promise."

"I hope you're right."

Gabrielle kissed her forehead and wiped a line of blood off from the side of her mouth. "Come, let's go home. You've had enough for one day."

"Yes, I think I have."

oo

As dawn approached, Chloe stretched her arms far apart testing the litheness of her new and improved muscles. They were lean, but tough like steel. A wrestler like Batista or Randy Orton even probably couldn't take her down. Or at least Chloe liked to pretend that was true; she wasn't quite sure the extent of her strength considering she'd only had a day to test the waters if you will. And what a bizarre day it had been, like being permanently thrown into the twilight zone. Gabrielle laughed as he watched her bend over touching her toes, then reversing until her palms pressed against the carpet behind her and finally flipping into the air landing on the footboard. Limber must have been in the vampiric make-up as well, she assumed.

They had retreated to the blue room for the day, even though sleep was impossible for either party now. But Gabrielle had suggested some time to recover and talk about their future together. She didn't protest considering the memory of Vanessa from her human life had already begun to fade. Things were different now, she thought, including Gabrielle. Every time Chloe saw the way Gabrielle watched her in her new form, she could see a fire burning bright within his misty gray eyes. Putting a name to it would be almost impossible, but if Chloe had to guess it would be excitement; if not for her changed body perhaps a partner to share this eternity with. Chloe couldn't even begin to grasp what it must have been like for Gabrielle, on his own centuries. No wonder he had turned Sebastian and found the others. Even though physically your human side has vanished, the emotions and urges for love and community must dwell.

"You are immaculate, my darling," Gabrielle grinned clasping his warm hands around her waist and pulling her down to the floor again. Chloe would have to readjust to this temperature change thing as well. She had grown accustomed to Gabrielle being about fifty degrees colder in flesh. "In fact you are reacting to the change far better than Sebastian or Preston ever had. Grant it they had been deathly ill or shot, but you definitely have a grace the men failed to master at such a young age. Hell, they still haven't mastered it."

Chloe burst out laughing and wrapped her arms around his neck, running her fingers through the nap of wavy golden hair. He was more beautiful than ever with this new light flaming inside him. It was as if he radiated this joyous warmth around the room, filling every nook and cranny. Even her flesh tingled and rippled, absorbing the waves of it. She sighed leaning into him for a kiss. They hadn't really had much time to relax and enjoy one another's company since the change, and Chloe was going to take advantage of this time while it lasted.

oo

Gabrielle held firm the beautiful goddess within his arms that closed tighter around her possessively. She had always been beautiful to him, but her body and face had not really changed all that much during the transformation, which Gabrielle hadn't expected them to. Chloe was perfect just the way she was, but now she was his equal. He'd never had such an immense feeling of pride and elation building within him, he felt he might burst at any moment. There was no way to describe or explain it, but he realized he had to act on it soon otherwise it might be dangerous. For whom or what, he didn't know, but something had to be done before the universe expanded and exploded like he thought his own body would do.

So he acted the only way he thought best, "Chloe," he sighed pulling away from her lips.

"Hmm?" Her eyes were closed; she was only half paying attention. Chloe must have noticed the electricity filling the air around them and licking at their skin. It was a pleasurable sensation gripping them both.

"Chloe, my love, I need you right now."

Her eyes opened now. What he saw within those dark midnight color pupils misting over was a reflection of his own desires emanating from the core. "I need you too. I've needed you for so long," was her response.

Words escaped him, only a deep groan from the back of his throat sounded as he collapsed his lips to her luscious plump mouth. Fire burned all the way to his toes and for the first time in his vampiric life, Gabrielle was scared. He'd never before had this kind of reaction and pure power raced through his body; he was scared for Chloe if he allowed that power to escape. The last thing he wanted was to hurt her. After all she'd been through was short of miraculous these past few days, he thought. But there was no way he could pull himself away from Chloe; her firm voluptuous breasts pressed solidly against his chest, the nipples peaking, her thighs brushing over his jeans causing what little strength he had left to vanquish; his manhood tightening and straining against the seam of his pants with every little motion or female moan. She was driving him crazy, a dangerous kind of crazy where the consequences could be grave.


	24. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty Three

"Do you realize I've been dying to be with you like this forever?" Chloe breathed wrapping her legs tighter around Gabrielle's waist as he settled over her.

"I know love. I have too, but I couldn't risk hurting you before and not to mention this whole pleasure thing is new to me as well."

"Yea, yea." She waved him off. He had been saying that the whole time, but Chloe could have handled it as a human, she thought. There was that time he'd given her pleasure on this very bed. And even though she'd passed out like a lightweight binging on vodka, Chloe had felt fine. Hell, better than fine, she was fantastic. Never in a million years would she have ever thought her body could produce such powerful pleasure. Well, it wasn't her body really, it had been Gabrielle and here he was wedged between her legs about to release that power once more, but this time she would be able to release her own. She was ready for him. "Less talking…My insides might burst if I don't have you soon."

As a response, Gabrielle plowed his lips back down on hers thrusting in his tongue to hers, picking up where they'd left off. He was urgent, running his hands over Chloe's body pressing, possessing. It was all she could do to keep it together. Her instincts rolled over and over in the pit of her stomach to flip him off onto the floor and take charge herself. Blood boiled with passionate heat and a burning, moist ache settled inside the core of her womanhood. She was wet and ready for him, but their confining clothes were in the way. A wave of frustration forced Chloe to push Gabrielle up far enough to begin tearing away at his shirt and pants, as he followed her lead with Chloe's dress. The stitching was useless against their strength, especially the lace panties that lay in shreds next to the new dresser, since Gabrielle's handmade one had been destroyed.

If they were still human, both would have been breathing like the fastest known climber of Mt. Everest, but air was of no use. After dropping the last bit of clothing, Gabrielle stood before her admiring, licking his lips as if preparing for a savory feast. It was hard to remain controlled when all her muscles screamed move, attack, take what was rightfully hers…his body. He was hers from now and eternity. Gabrielle must have seen the possessive lust within her eyes that echoed his own, because he lowered himself abruptly back onto her smooth flesh, his knee parting her thighs. This time, there were no barriers keeping them apart; it was flesh to flesh, power against power. Chloe rolled him over settling on top, straddling his hips. He was hard, throbbing to gain entrance into her tight sheath; the one thing that would make them finally and completely whole, the most basic and primal act of making love.

Gabrielle's head fell back against the crème silk sheets, as her hands caressed up his milky chest and dragging back down. The tingling electricity sparking back and forth, sending spurts of pleasure all the way to her core; Chloe couldn't take it anymore. There was no time for foreplay, they could do that later. Heck they had eternity. Gabrielle lifted his gaze once more to meet hers as her hands came to the base of his flat, hard stomach. A groan escaped as soon as Chloe lifted one hand to place two fingers into her mouth, licking, teasing and dampening. It was driving Gabrielle crazy watching, she looked like a sorceress, but he understood why when she brought them back down to moisten him in preparation to penetrate her soft entrance. Chloe watched his chalky hands grip the sheets beside her knees as she eased his head passed the soft wet entrance. She hesitated only a moment before slowly taking him all in, enveloping every inch. A rupture of pleasure already began to form. It took a moment for Chloe to adjust to the thick intrusion, but a moment was too long. She needed him now.

oo

As the movements began, as well did the waves upon waves of excitement. Gabrielle thought he might explode if she didn't pick up the pace. The slow motions from Chloe were only an agonizing tease, building pressure deep inside. This woman, _his_ woman was all he would ever need, but the need went beyond just a form of companion and lover. They were vampire mates and the yearning for one another was far greater than anything he'd ever experienced before. In his centuries of existence, nothing had ever come close, not even the taste and sensations of drinking blood could compare.

He brought her towards him, clasping her waist as he rolled their bodies as so he once again was on top. Chloe's beautiful brunette hair, shinning in waves splayed out over silk, her misty eyes filled with lust and a deep connection only for him to understand, and her burning warmth comforting and strengthening his necessity for her. The thrusts began a slow pace, but only for a moment progressing to a scorching heat reflecting the passion within. Pulling out cautiously and abruptly pumping back harder each time, their climax was coming on swiftly. Clawing down his back, Chloe clung to him as he took her hard, to the point Gabrielle expected they'd both combust into piles of ashes, but they didn't. The pressure only grew to sensational levels, the world spun off its axis as the climax came. Bursts of energy and spine tingling vibrations battered through his body. It was only a moment later when he felt Chloe's reaction to his release. Her own muscles clenched around him, pulling more random spurts of pleasure as she shuddered beneath him. Chloe exhaled flattening against the sheets as he himself collapsed onto her chest. Darkness overtook.

oo

When Gabrielle had realized he'd fallen onto Chloe leaving a heavy body pinning her to the bed, he quickly rolled to the side and scooted them both up to the lay against the pillows. Their blackout had only been a few minutes, but the sensation must have been so intense he'd passed right out like a human. That had never happened to him before. It was so illusory and unusual, even at his age. Vampires aren't supposed to sleep, but he wasn't really sleeping. He was unconscious which is slightly different, or a deeper form of sleeping, no dreaming, no resting, just blackness. The blood did everything to regenerate the body and there was no need to sleep, but it wasn't impossible. That's at least what he believed now, having been with Chloe.

Gabrielle glanced over at her peaceful looking face and knew instantly this was how he wanted to spend his every moment. Not making love—even though they would be making love often—but having Chloe wrapped in his arms, with him for eternity. His fingers slid along her elegant jaw and stopped hovering over her plump, rosy lips. Her eyes lifted as she smiled and extended her arms up into the air. "How do you feel?"

She twisted and stretched some more, lengthening her body like a feline after a nap in the sun, "Mmm, I feel incredible," she laughed. "Can we do that again?"

The express of amusement lit Gabrielle's face, "Of course we can love. We have all the time in the world."

oo

Months had passed since Gabrielle had turned Chloe, but their life together had been nothing but spectacular with one set back. It was sad for her to bury her uncle and sale his house, but now that she was a part of the coven, there was no need to keep it. Sure it would have been useful as a hide out just in case of trouble, but for one there just wasn't enough space for all of them and second there were just too many bad memories of what had happened. Chloe wanted to keep photographs and smaller items of her uncle's that reminded her of happier times. Plus, Gabrielle told her she would need them in the future. The human memories fade with time, especially when you were Gabrielle's age.

But afterwards, Gabrielle had suggested they travel; see places Chloe had never been before, which was pretty much everywhere. So here there were in an expensive hotel in the center of Venice, Italy. It was beautiful, rich with culture, architecture and water. Lot's of water. The room was immaculate, a giant bed that could probably hold a family of bears was elegant in white satin sheets with lace; a living room continuing the white, spotless clean theme and grand bathroom bigger than any room she'd ever lived in as a human. She and Gabrielle had already made use of the bed and extremely large Jacuzzi tub, which was an adventure in itself keeping the water from sloshing out. Everything was wonderful and she wouldn't trade her time with Gabrielle for anything, but she was wondering what the rest of her coven was doing. She missed Resacra terribly, whom she'd befallen as soul sisters with ever since Chloe had become the only other vampire without testosterone syndrome. Resacra and Laman also decided to travel and hopped the first flight to Vegas, not really Chloe's scene.

"What are you thinking?" Gabrielle noticed her staring out from the balcony.

"Just miss the others, that's all."

He quirked his lips and ran a hand into her hair, "Such a caring creature," he purred.

She closed her eyes leaning into his resting palm, "They're the only family I've got now. I can't help, but worry."

"Don't worry about Resacra, Laman will take good care of her; they've been in this world a long time and know how to handle themselves."

Chloe arched her brow, "And what of Preston? Hmm? He doesn't have decades or years even and he's all alone. What if something happens to him?"

"Shh, shh. He will be just fine. Preston is taking care of the house while we're gone. Nothing's going to happen, and if something were to come up, which I doubt will; we can take the first available flight home. Alright?"

"Fine," she sighed. Neither one mentioned Sebastian's name, even though Chloe was just as worried for him as she was the others. It was her fault Sebastian had run off in the first place and she wished Gabrielle knew where he was so she could apologize and make things right between them all. But that was only wishful thinking. Chloe knew Gabrielle had no idea where he was and the man was hurting. Gabrielle never should it, but she knew deep down. Their bond was too great for her not to see it. It might have even been the reason, she longed to have Sebastian back within the coven so badly was because of Gabrielle's emotions for him. They also had a connection, not as potent as a vampire mate, but Gabrielle was Sebastian's maker and that in itself is a strong link. If only there was some way to help both of them, she thought.

"Why don't you and I go out tonight? Tour some of the nightlife, ride the gondola or something romantic. We need to feed anyways; you haven't had much blood the past few days."

"Blood, that's romantic," she laughed.

"I know it's still hard for you, believe me it never gets any easier…"

"Then how do you do it all the damn time?" she spat cutting him off.

"It just becomes a part of life. It's how we survive, love. Would you drink for my sake?"

"You know I'd do anything for you Gabrielle," she retorted.

"But, would you kill for me?" The seriousness in his voice startled her. Chloe couldn't imagine life without Gabrielle and knew immediately what her answer would be. "I would die without you. So…yes, I'd kill for you Gabrielle."

He held her close and breathed in her lilac sent, "I can't promise I'd never ask you to kill an innocent, but it would only be for our survival and nothing else. I can promise you that. And through our existence together there will be inevitable wars, battles, times that thrive on violence to come out alive if that's what you can call us. I need to know you will be there for me through it all. You will have my back."

Before Chloe spoke she considered his words. He was more serious than she'd ever seen him, besides the times her life had been in danger. There was no question, he'd been there when she needed him most and she was his vampire mate; not even God in heaven could stop Chloe from standing at his side through whatever the future held. She locked her gaze with his and said very sternly, "Gabrielle, you are my vampire mate. There is nothing or no one that would keep me from being there for you. Whatever comes…whether war or fight or even some undiscovered vampire illness, I will be right by your side standing my ground."

"I know you will, my love. And I you."

They wrapped arms around each other as the night's wind whipped at their hair and clothes, the city lights glittering reflections over the water. "What brought this on?" Chloe asked.

"I just needed to hear you say that, because there are two things I need your help with and it may be dangerous."

Her expression became wary. "What two things?"

"I want to search for my maker, Anthony Baluster, again. Wenever found him and something just doesn't feel right. I need to know who he is, Chloe. Can you help me?"

Chloe could nearly understand how he felt. If she had never known who Gabrielle was—her maker—there would be this void pushing her to discover his identity. A maker is more than just a parental figure. There is a transferring of fluids almost as intimate as mating, but different. There is no attraction or lust. It's a bond deep and necessary for survival as a species; and if that bond was ever severed, a vampire would never fill truly whole. "Of course I'll help you Gabrielle. Whatever you need, wherever…we will find him."

"Thank you. If I have anything to say about it, I won't put you in any danger. If it gets to be too much, we'll return home until things cool down, but I can't do this alone."

"You won't Gabrielle." She meant it, every word. Even though they had been through so much a few months prior, a sense of a new adventure skimmed the atmosphere. One thing was for sure; their lives would never be completely boring. A vampire's life can be repetitive and drawn out, but Chloe had an inkling with Gabrielle…nothing was going to be boring.

There was one more thing she had to know. "What else was it you needed help with Gabrielle?"

He faced her once more in his arms and grinned a sensual, sly grin, wicked to the very core. And at that moment she could feel exactly what he needed help with as the strain behind the black material of his dress pants explained for him. She relaxed in his grip as a knot of tension began to form, her legs felt like jelly and the heat between her legs pooled to a hot need. It was instantaneous; a need for Gabrielle that would never be fully sated. He bent his head in and kissed her urgently as if they hadn't been making love every single day since she'd been turned into a vampire. And every single time had been like the first, passionate, overwhelming and something Chloe and Gabrielle would never ever get enough of…each other.

AN/ Thanks for reading Gabrielle and Chloe's story. I have enjoyed writing it as much as I hope you enjoyed reading it. But don't fret. There is more to come. A final bit I will be posting soon that I hope will excite you. It does me! Thanks again for sticking with me through this adventure.


	25. Epilogue

Epilogue

Sebastian stood on the street corner, starring up at the famous buildings lit with random speckles of light and covered with flashing billboards around Time Square in New York City. He'd lost track of how long he'd been there, weeks, months…maybe, but he didn't care. There was no way he could go back to Gabrielle, especially when that woman, Chloe, was following him around like a lost puppy causing all kinds of mayhem. Even though Gabrielle was his maker, he had no interest in returning until some sense was knocked into him. And he avoided the thought that it was he who brought Chloe to Gabrielle in the first place.

Sebastian ignored the strong tug in his chest to board the nearest ship headed across seas. _Gabrielle must be somewhere in Europe_, he thought. Oh well, it wasn't his business if the man wanted to travel. He was sure that little trouble maker would be with him anyways. However, the last time he and Gabrielle had been overseas, they'd searched high and low and even very low for the ware bouts of his vampire maker. They had even run into some danger that Gabrielle never liked to mention. "_There is nothing we can do about it, so let's not discuss it,_" Gabrielle would have said. Sebastian wondered what he was doing back there in Europe. Had he found the man? Was there still a coven of vampires out to destroy, Baluster? Oh, forget it. Again, it wasn't his business and over his corpse was he going to find out anytime soon.

The horn of a taxi blasted at an old woman with a handful of groceries, struggling to get across the street in time before the light changed, bringing him from his reverie. He laughed at the petty humans and their capacity of unconcern for one another. It was as if, each human lived in a world of their own, where everything affected them directly or was originated for them specifically. Selfish creatures, humans have become. Well, Sebastian did the one thing he felt aided society best in his own way…hunted for his next victim. The cab driver seemed to be just the type, but Sebastian's tastes were somewhat classier tonight. Tonight he wanted young, fresh blood, preferably female so he could sate what little of his other hungers as well. He never forced them…oh, no; the women always came to Sebastian, if he went to the right places in New York's chaotic nightlife. They always came.

oo

It had been a few hours since he'd stood on the streets of New York with a hatred for humanity and now he stood at the window of his cheap hotel room with a hatred for himself. He'd found a woman alright, but as she lay bloodied on his musty bed, Sebastian grimaced at the mess he'd made. It was never his intention to get rough with the girl, but she had provoked him at first yelling commands as he thrust inside her never fully reaching a release, like it was light years away and he had no rocket to reach it. _Damn this vampire shit_, he thought. She'd clawed his back and bit into his shoulder. Nothing painful of course and no skin was broken considering how tough his was, but the urge to bite back had been too tempting. There was no way he could have resisted. His canines had eased out and her neck had been so incredibly sweet.

Also, it had always been a curiosity of other vampires how Sebastian managed to even be physically able after centuries of sex. The truth was it really wasn't about sex, pleasure or need for human lust; it's about the kill, pure and simple. It was the kill he craved, the kill he was good at, seducing woman, even men and he assumed that was probably why he felt like he was going off the deep end half the time. This was not an existence he would have chosen, if he'd known it was going to be like this.

He couldn't even remember the girl's name. Sure he'd seen a flash of her memories, but there comes a point when the memories begin to mesh with other humans' and they all begin to look, feel and taste the same. Nothing was ever going to be enough for him, blood, flesh…nothing. He was doomed to this life of bloodlust and never to be satisfied. A thirst that will never be quenched; he might as well jump from the Empire State Building, not that that would do any good. Survival was inevitable for his kind, like an eternal damnation, unless you were Gabrielle or even Laman. _Damn these women and their hypnotic talents._

Sebastian sighed as he turned back around to glance one more time at the horrific scene he'd made, before grabbing his things and disappearing into the night in search of another place to stay. He was sorry for what he'd done, but there was nothing he could do to fix it. This was who he was, a vampire. Sebastian would just have to accept himself the way he was. And with that thought he leapt from the window down into the alley, and walked with nonchalance into the mainstream of nightwalkers. There was the Sheraton around the next corner he could get a room for the day and then he would probably move on. There was nothing here for him or anywhere for that matter, the next state, the next country, nothing, but more violent blood.

AN/ Thanks again for reading. If you want to find out what happens to Sebastian, please read my next book in the series _Hidden Desires_. It will be another exciting adventure! Here is the summary to keep you intrigued:

_Badass vampire, Sebastian Richards, has always been against love in every form, way and fashion. Not even lust, after a couple centuries, holds much appeal for him; that is until he meets Jessica Faulkner. A struggling artist that captures his attention from the moment he lays eyes on her. There are more than just vampires to worry about, however, in the dangerous city of New York. But will he fight the unfamiliar urges burning deep inside him and ignore this tempting goddess? Or will he abandon all hatred and denials to take Jess for his own; giving into those Hidden Desires, to save a lone human?_

If you haven't reviewed, please feel free to give me some feedback on Gabrielle and Chloe's story or if you have any comments on the new one to come, please, please…review! Thanks, Eisac


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